As the royal family prepare to pay their final respects to Prince Philip at his funeral on Saturday, Charles Spencer has shared a very poignant memory from a royal funeral past.
The Earl posted a black-and-white image taken from 1952, over a decade before he was born, explaining that his father Viscount Althorp acted as one of the pallbearers at the Queen's father's funeral.
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"The funeral procession of George VI from February 1952, in London's Edgware Road," he captioned the striking photo. "My father served the king, & was one of his pallbearers (cap, dark uniform, level with the front of the right rear wheel of the gun carriage). George VI was taken by train to Windsor for burial."
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Charles has very close links to the royal family, not only for being Princess Diana's younger brother and therefore Prince William and Prince Harry's maternal uncle. He is also the godson of Her Majesty.
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The Queen had the difficult task of selecting just 30 friends and family members to attend Prince Philip's funeral at St George's Chapel, Windsor on Saturday, in keeping with COVID-19 regulations. Diana's brother has not been invited, however, a live stream is being sent to Prince Philip's nearest and dearest so that they can watch the funeral without any commentary. The service is being broadcast on BBC One.
Charles Spencer shared this poignant photo from King George VI's funeral
It will begin at 3pm with a one-minute silence, although viewers will see the Queen and her family make their arrival at the chapel. As well as her four children, her eight grandchildren and their spouses, the Queen has also invited Princess Margaret's daughter Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto, as well as Margaret's son the Earl of Snowdon.
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The Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra have also secured an invite, as have Prince Philip's German relatives The Hereditary Prince of Baden, The Landgrave of Hesse and The Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Philip's friend and carriage driving companion, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, will also be in attendance.
The late King's funeral procession in 1952
Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle will not be attending as she has been advised not to travel to the UK given the advanced stage of her pregnancy.
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