Prince Philip asked an 80-year-old photographer to hide in a fake pillar at his funeral for this surprising reason

Prince Philip asked his longtime photographer friend to perform a very special request at his funeral on Saturday – hide in a fake pillar. 

• Prince Philip asked a long-time royal photographer to hide in a pillar at his funeral before his death. 
• The Duke of Edinburgh had reportedly been planning his funeral arrangements for 18 years and was meticulous about every last detail. 
• In other royal news, Prince Harry officially misses the Queen’s 95th birthday after returning to the US.
  

The Duke of Edinburgh, who was laid to rest last weekend at the age of 99, had been heavily involved in his funeral preparations before his death. 

From requesting a military service to designing the regalia display, his influence on the solemn service at St. George's Chapel was impossible to miss. It has now been revealed that he was also particularly concerned with the portrayal of his coffin on camera and was willing to go to extreme lengths to secure the perfect shot.

The late duke enlisted Arthur Edwards, a royal photographer whom he had personally met, to execute the poignant task. 

The 80-year-old was required to hide inside a fake pillar on the steps of the chapel, where he was able to discreetly snap some final pictures of Prince Philip's coffin from a clear angle. His black camera lens could be seen poking out of the makeshift column's opening, a feature that reminded Arthur of a beloved pastime from the duke's later years. 

"With a letterbox-shaped slit, it was like the bird-watching hides where Prince Philip spent hours of his retirement at Sandringham,” he recalled. 

The clever trick worked just as expected, allowing Arthur to deliver sharp shots of the flag-draped coffin as it entered the chapel. The experience was incredibly moving for the veteran photographer, who had spent half of his life capturing images of Prince Philip. 

 "When his coffin went past my hidey-hole and into the chapel – my last sight of the man I photographed for 40 years – I was overwhelmed with memories of an incredible man." 

Arthur also got an up-close perspective of Prince Charles as walked slowly behind his late father. "Close to tears, I could see he realized the weight of the task ahead to look after his mother and the monarchy,” he revealed.

Attended by just 30 guests due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Royal Family's pain was impossible to ignore during the lowkey service. 

Prince Charles's eyes were glistening with tears in the funeral procession, while the Queen looked solitary sitting alone as she bid her final farewell to her husband. The death of Prince Philip marked the end of her seven-decade-long marriage with the royal consort, leaving her to head the British monarchy without any spousal support.