Prince Philip has passed away at the age of 99, after battling health problems for the last few years.
Editorial
EDITORIAL
In the passing of the patriarch of the Royal Family during a pandemic, we will have a rare glimpse into who populates the inner circle of The Firm.
Due to coronavirus regulations, only 30 can attend the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The UK Telegraph hasscrutinised Philip's close acquaintances and family ties to draw up a likely attendance list.
The Queen will be joined by senior family members including the Prince of Wales, who is expected to deliver the eulogy at his father's funeral, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
The Duke's other three children - the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal will also attend.
Princess Anne's husband, Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, will be there and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex will be at her husband's side. The couple visited the Queen a day after Prince Philip died with the Countess of Wessex remarking "the Queen has been amazing" as they left Windsor Castle.
Prince Charles' sons Prince William, his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry will also attend, the latter making the journey from his home in California. His wife Meghan, we have already learned, is pregnant and has been advised not to make the trip on medical grounds.
A tribute to Britain's Prince Philip is projected onto a large screen at Piccadilly Circus in central London. Photo / AP
The rest of the Duke's grandchildren, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn - are expected to attend.
Lady Pamela Hicks, the Duke's first cousin, may also be at the service. As may Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who was a close friend of the Duke's.
Other members who could receive an invitation include the Queen's cousins Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent and his wife, the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Margaret's children the Earl of Snowdon, and Lady Sarah Chatto and the Duke's private secretary Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell.
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank may also accompany their wives on the day.
Following immediate family, Admiral Tony Radakin, the first sea lord and head of Royal Navy, with which Prince Philip served, could also be on the guest list.
Likely to be absent, however, are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's three children.
The Cambridges have been careful to protect Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2, from the public gaze, and made clear from the outset that they would shield them from the pressures of royal life while they were young.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has, perhaps unnecessarily, declined to attend. Also among the notable non-attendees are the public. It had been hoped that the public could pay respects along the route, but this will no longer be possible.
Members of the public have been asked not to attempt to attend or participate in any of the events which make up the funeral.
