An exhibition celebrating the life of Prince Philip has officially opened at Windsor Castle.
- The exhibition has been put together by the Royal Collection Trust and showcases personal pieces that mark key moments in Prince Philip's life.
- People are being encouraged to visit Prince Philip: A celebration to pay their respects after the Duke's funeral was scaled-back due to COVID-19.
- This follows royal news that royal fans were left shocked over Princess Charlotte and Prince George's latest appearance for this reason.
Traditionally, a royal funeral would attract huge crowds gathered to mourn, but the Duke of Edinburgh's was quite different.
Prince Philip's funeral was a scaled-back event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a new exhibition celebrating his life is being advertised as a place to pay your final respects.
The exhibition, Prince Philip: A Celebration, can be visited at Windsor Castle—the place he and the Queen spent most of their 73-year marriage—until September 24.
It has been curated by the Royal Collection Trust and features some special memorabilia from key moments in Prince Philip's life.
On display are the Coronation Robe the Duke wore during the Queen's coronation in 1953 and his Chair of Estate—which spent years in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
According to Sally Goodsir, curator of decorative arts at the Royal Collection Trust, the exhibition had been planned to mark the Duke's 100th birthday in June and had therefore been in the making for a number of months prior to his death.
Speaking more about what visitors can expect at the exhibition, Sally said, "There are works from the Royal Collection, as well as more private works, such as paintings acquired by him during his lifetime, works presented during state visits, and during some of his solo tours without the Queen, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s."
“There are also displays which show his involvement with environment and conservation when they were really quite new concerns in the middle of the 20th century.”
While the exhibition itself is home to some of Prince Philip's most personal items, its location is also a deliberate tribute to the Duke.
It is being held in the Lantern Lobby and St George's Hall—a room the Queen's husband was "instrumental" in helping rebuild after a fire wrecked the castle in 1992.
“Prince Philip was chair of the restoration committee and he convened that committee within three weeks of the fire, bringing together British and global heritage experts and skilled craftspeople to really rebuild Windsor Castle,” Sally explained.
