Mike Tindall gives heartbreaking insight into Prince Philip’s funeral
Mike Tindall, the husband of Zara Phillips, has given an emotional account of Prince Philip’s farewell and how it felt to see the Queen sitting alone.
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Mourning royals were told “you need to leave” straight after Prince Philip’s funeral due to COVID rules, according to a member of the royal family.
Mike Tindall, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, also told of his heartbreak as the Queen was forced to sit alone.
“After the funeral it was sort of, ‘You all need to leave’, so you didn’t even get to have that supportive side afterwards,” Tindall told Good Morning Britain on Friday (local time).
Speaking about the photo which garnered sympathy around the world of a solitary Queen sitting alone at her husband’s funeral, Tindall added: “That’s what the Queen does, she leads by example. Amazing to see, but I didn’t really want to see it.”
“Loss is always going to be difficult. I thought the funeral was beautifully done.
“But, at the same time, we had to see the Queen make a stand in terms of showing what the world was at the moment,” Tindall later told the BBC.
'She leads by example.'@miketindall13 praises the Queen as he tells Ben and @kategarraway that the way Prince Philip's funeral was planned and run was 'exceptional'. pic.twitter.com/rjwaad6pib
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 30, 2021
“To sit on her own and be as brave as she was, I thought just summed her up as a lady. She was amazing.
“Then the funeral finished and it was sort of ‘get in your cars and go home’.
“That’s what was allowed and what the rules state. So is what happened. Yes, it was tough.”
The former England rugby star also described the moment his wife broke down.
“The way that the funeral was planned and run was exceptional and for Zara it was seeing his carriage ponies and the gloves and the sugar cube box and all that lined up.
“If he was looking down, being in the middle of the pandemic when it was a bit more low-key, he would’ve been more happy with that even though the rest of us would’ve liked more of a celebration but that’s the sort of man that he was.”
Tindall also revealed his son’s middle name, Philip, is both a nod to Zara’s grandfather and to his own father.
PHILIP’S FAREWELL
Prince Philip died on April 9 at Windsor Castle, with the Queen said to be by his side.
In keeping with his character over the last few months, the Duke got his dying wish of a small “no-fuss” funeral, largely due to ongoing COVID restrictions.
The service on April 17 began with a ceremonial procession, setting off from the state entrance at 2.45pm with the Prince of Wales and members of royal family following on foot behind Prince Philip’s coffin.
A national minute’s silence took place at 3pm (UK time) before the 50-minute service honouring Prince Philip’s 70-plus years of duty to the Queen and country began.
All 30 mourners were carefully spaced out in St George’s Chapel, with the Queen and Prince Charles heading up the group.
The poignant ceremony ended with his body being taken to lie in the Royal Vault within St George’s chapel, where he will wait to be reunited with his beloved Queen.
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