How Prince Philip's Death 3 Years Ago Upended Traditional Royal Protocols

The Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in a scaled-down service amid the global pandemic

Prince Philip died at age 99 on April 9, 2021, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic — which would affect almost every aspect of his funeral arrangements.

The Duke of Edinburgh died one month before his 100th birthday, and COVID restrictions even changed how courtiers communicated the news. Though the world first learned of the death of Queen Elizabeth’s husband of 73 years in a statement shared to social media, it’s traditional for notices about births and deaths within the royal family to be posted at the Buckingham Palace gates for 24 hours. When Prince Philip died, the sign was taken down within an hour to prevent crowds from gathering amid distancing restrictions.

The palace also asked that well-wishers refrain from laying flowers at the gates, as members of the public have historically done following deaths within the royal family. Mourners reportedly managed to leave about 100 bouquets, and mounted police reminded visitors to stay at least six feet apart from one another.

Related: Why Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Didn't Go to Charles and Camilla's Wedding Ceremony

After eight days of mourning, the late Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in a much smaller funeral than previous royal burials. About 30 loved ones came together for the service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021, and the funeral took place entirely within the castle grounds. Prince Philip had been highly involved in planning the arrangements, down to a customized Land Rover hearse and the music including the Royal Navy Hymn, a nod to his military roots.

The slimmed-down contingent of funeral guests, which included his four children, eight grandchildren and other close family members and friends, came together for an hour-long ceremony was marked by military precision and heartfelt emotion. Prince Harry was among the royal ranks, returning to the U.K. for the first time in over a year following his U.S. move with Meghan Markle.

To heed medical guidance at the time, all funeral attendees, including Queen Elizabeth, wore face masks inside St. George's Chapel. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes was the Queen, a few days shy of her 94th birthday, sitting alone in the pews due to social distancing.

"In some ways, I'm glad we didn't see that moment. And when you see the photograph, it's much worse somehow," Princess Anne later said in an interview with CBC.

Related: Prince Philip's Cause of Death Revealed by Queen's Physician as 'Old Age': Report

"And you saw more of that than we did, [since we were] accompanying the coffin," the Princess Royal added about what the public saw versus her experience in person.

When the emotional service came to a close, the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault and the National Anthem was sung by the choir. The royal family then departed the chapel, and everything became private.

Prince Philip’s moving funeral is remembered for its scaled-down size, which one insider says he would have preferred.

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"Ironically, it is probably how he would have liked," former palace spokeswoman Ailsa Anderson told PEOPLE at the time. "No fuss, no bother. Right through his life, he never knew what all the fuss was about."

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