Prince Philip memorial service set for spring

Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II who died this year, is to be commemorated at a memorial service at Westminster Abbey in spring, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

The Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 in April, when strict social distancing rules were in place for funerals and only 30 people could attend.

His widow, Queen Elizabeth II sat on her own in a pew in Windsor Castle´s St George´s Chapel as her husband of 73 years was laid to rest.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen had given permission for the commemorative religious service in spring, without giving a precise date.

The 95-year-old monarch will mark her platinum jubilee from February next year.

At their golden wedding celebrations in 1997 the Queen said Philip had "quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I owe him a greater debt than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know".

The Queen is to stay for Christmas at Windsor Castle west of London, where she has spent most of the pandemic period, rather than travelling to her country estate of Sandringham in eastern England as usual.

The Queen´s daughter Princess Anne is in self-isolation after her husband tested positive for coronavirus, but the monarch´s eldest son and the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla are to visit the Queen on Christmas Day.