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What time is Prince Philip’s funeral? How to watch and what to expect of the service

 Prince Philip wears a formal suit
The funeral for Prince Philip, pictured in 2018, is set for Saturday.
(Alastair Grant / Associated Press)
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Buckingham Palace will commemorate the life and legacy of Prince Philip on Saturday with a funeral at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England. Relatively low-key due to a pandemic-restricted guest list, the intimate ceremony will begin with a funeral procession at Windsor Castle that concludes at the chapel. Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, died April 9 at age 99.

There will be plenty of opportunities to tune in. Wall-to-wall coverage of the late Duke of Edinburgh has dominated BBC broadcasting since his death, prompting more than 110,000 complaints from fed-up viewers. That likely won’t deter the millions around the world expected to watch the event.

Here’s what you need to know about Prince Philip’s funeral.

When and where is the ceremony?

The funeral begins Saturday at 3 p.m. GMT (or 7 a.m. Pacific), though the procession technically starts 20 minutes earlier. At 6:40 a.m. Pacific, the coffin will be brought from Windsor Castle and followed by members of the royal family in a funeral procession. It’ll proceed to St. George’s Chapel, where Prince Philip will be laid to rest.

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How can I watch?

For U.S. viewers, the televised ceremony will be broadcast on multiple channels. Coverage begins as early as 5 a.m. Pacific on CNN International. Fox News and CNN will begin their broadcasts at 6 a.m. The networks NBC, CBS and ABC will follow at 6:30 a.m.

If you’d prefer to watch online, NBC, CBS and ABC will make their coverage available to stream on Peacock, CBSN and ABC News Live, respectively.

The royal family will also offer a livestream of the ceremony at 6:30 a.m. Pacific on its official YouTube channel.

Queen Elizabeth II chats with Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip in 2002.
(Fiona Hanson/AFP via Getty Images)

Who is attending the funeral?

Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that only 30 guests will be allowed to attend, per Britain’s COVID-19 restrictions. The small guest list is a departure from other royal ceremonies (Harry and Meghan’s wedding had a guest list of 600), though the palace assured that the ceremony will still meet the late duke’s wishes.

Only Queen Elizabeth and members of Prince Philip’s family have been invited to attend — leaving notable names like Prime Minister Boris Johnson off the guest list.

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Alongside Queen Elizabeth, attendees include Anne, Philip’s only daughter; his three sons, Charles, Edward and Andrew; and grandsons Harry and William and his wife, Kate.

Spouses of Philip’s children, along with his grandchildren, the late Princess Margaret’s children, and several members of Philip’s Greek and German family have also been listed as attendees.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry’s wife, will not be attending after she was not cleared by her physician to travel from California to the funeral. A candid interview with Oprah alongside Harry stirred up controversy both here and across the pond, after Meghan spoke openly about the isolation she felt within the royal family and raised concerns about racism.

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Who is in the funeral procession?

Nine members of the royal family will follow the coffin as it makes its way to the chapel. They include: Philip’s children, Anne, Charles, Edward, and Andrew; Harry and William; Peter Phillips, Anne’s son; Timothy Laurence, Anne’s second husband; and David Armstrong-Jones, an extended member of the royal family.

The coffin itself will proceed on the royal family’s Land Rover; Queen Elizabeth will ride in the state Bentley. The nine will follow on foot.

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As the royal procession follows the coffin from Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel, representatives from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Highlanders, and 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Air Force will line the route. Their participation reflects Philip’s close affiliation with the armed forces.

The royal family tweeted Friday that Philip was closely involved with the planning of his funeral before he died.

What kind of ceremony is it?

Prince Philip’s funeral will be a ceremonial royal funeral, not a state funeral, which is generally reserved for monarchs. Queen Elizabeth’s mother, Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, also had a ceremonial royal funeral.

Minute guns and the Curfew Tower Bell will sound off throughout the procession. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will pronounce the blessing. David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, will conduct the funeral service. The two will receive the coffin as it arrives at the chapel, but not before a national minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time to honor the late Duke of Edinburgh.

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