Prince Philip's funeral to be held at Windsor Castle on April 17, confirms Buckingham Palace

The death of Queen Elizabeth’s husband left the Royal Family and the British Government in a scramble to rewrite plans as the country is in the midst of strict social distancing rules due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a press release issued Saturday, the Buckingham Palace said the service will be preceded by a ceremonial procession inside the grounds of Windsor Castle and there will be no public access nor public procession beforehand.

Prince Philip’s coffin is currently resting in the private chapel at the castle, where it will remain until the funeral.

In accordance to UK COVID-19 guidelines, only a maximum of 30 people will be allowed to attend the funeral as the Buckingham Palace is stressing that the service will be held in line with covid related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), meaning members of the royal family including the queen would be expected to wear a mask.

The main eight members, Prince William and Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince Edward and Sophie along with the Queen herself will be present. Among the rest of the 30 who are expected to attend are the other two children of the Duke, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie are also expected to be there along with Zara Tindall.

It has been reported by the British press that the estranged son of Prince Charles, Prince Harry, will also fly from his adopted home in America to attend his grandfather’s funeral, although Meghan Markle, heavily pregnant at this time, will most likely skip the event.

Harry and Meghan are estranged from the British Royal family, especially after giving a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey in which Meghan accused the family of being racist and not allowing her to have access to mental health, although the duo were quick to exclude Harry’s grandparents from the list. The interview created chasms between Harry and his brother along with his father.

Being Prince Philip’s favorite child, Prince Harry is expected to put up a dignified front at the funeral and not expose the family to more unnecessary scrutiny