>> and there ends the national minute of silence being observed to honor the life of prince philip, the duke of edinburgh, the queen's consort, who is about to be laid to rest in the official funeral ceremony about to unfold at st. george's chapel on the grounds of windsor castle. the whole nation and, indeed, many in the world will pause at this moment, winifred. >> absolutely. just as we watch this, it feels

very somber, and it feels very important. that's my reaction. and i know there's all sides of the royal family. some things people love, and some things they don't quite adore. i think this is one of the strong points. a proper send-off for somebody whose life was so well lived and duty so well served. as you said, expected well over 10 million, possibly tens of millions of viewers in the uk and watched around the world. >> let's bring in andrew roberts, who is still with us. andrew, the ceremony is about to begin. what can we expect? >> we can expect a good deal of tradition. it is going to be done according to the rights of the 1662 book of common prayer. that wonderful poetry of thomas cramner, shakespearean language. it'll be a beautiful ceremony. as you can see, there is a good deal of simplicity to it. enormous amount of piety, too.

he had 1,000 books of religion in his private library. >> there will be many details that were hand-selected by the prince himself, including some of the songs that the choir will sing have been requested by the duke of edinburgh. later in the service, the choir will sing psalm 104. it was the duke himself who requested it be set to music. it was sung on his 75th birthday. obviously, meant a great deal to him because he had asked that it will sung today. >> we get a glimpse, as well, i find it interesting that st. george's chapel is called a chapel, and keir described itca. we get a glimpse of it now. the impact that covid restrictions have with only 30 members attending. >> st. george's chapel has been the home of a lot of sad moments, like today,celebration. harry and meghan were married there a few years ago. >> they were, indeed. we were all lucky enough to be

there to cover the story. it was, as you said, such a happy day. today, kind the opposite. the location, nonetheless, is a formal royal funeral, not a formal state occasion. as would be the case for a son -- consort compared to a monarch. it is sad, regardless of the status of the occasion, that there aren't more leaders and more family members there, as would have been the case if not for covid. >> right. even -- we can bring in andrew on this, as well, the kind of public outpouring that we have seen on the streets of london or the streets of windsor. because of covid, the royal family discouraged it, saying you can honor the prince online. please don't congregate because we are in the middle of the pandemic. you do miss those memorials and those touches from the public,

who this week are really remembering and reveing the duke of edinburgh, andrew. >> that's absolutely right. had this been a normal funeral, especially if he laid in state in westminster abbey, which he didn't want to do, but if he did as the queen mother did, we would have had queues going all the way, lines across both bridges on the river thames. it would have been an enormous thing. >> wilfred, you hear the singing in the background. as you pointed out, that's all also restricted during this, as well. >> the congregation members will not be singing at the 30-family member. i think it is a 4-person strong choir which is, again, another sign of how tightly they're following the restrictions. commendable in that light. the thing i'd add about the public, as well, i would say prince philip in the last couple decades wasn't necessarily the favorite member of the family. always much loved. to see the level of respect, the level of outpouring this week, i

think, shows the enduring love certainly in the uk, perhaps around the rest of the world, too, for the royal family as a whole. coming so soon after what has been a very tough period for the family. i think, most of all, love, sympathy, and respect for his widow, the queen. i think that only strengthens the bond that the british people have with the royal family. >> andrew, to that very point, it is often said that prince philip had a great deal with the modernizing of the royal family. keeping the royal family up to date and relevant, including inviting cameras to see the royal family behind the scenes. maybe that was a decision he came to regret after all that has sprung up in its wake. however, can you talk about his contribution, his importance to this institution? >> oh, yes. one of the reasons that the institution is so strong and popular in britain today is down to him. he was the first royal ever to

give a television interview. he allowed the tv cameras into the royal family back in 1969, watching them barbecue, go on holiday in scotland, and so on. had it not been for him, we could have been stuck very much with a pre-1952 style of monarchy, which would have no relevance, frankly, to today's britain. >> a thing i'd add, as well, i'm not sure we would have had the monarchy had it stayed that way. it needed to modernize and evolve. he said in a speech in 1969, the monarchy doesn't exist in the interest of the monarchy. it exists in the interest of people. it has evolved, sometimes with bumps in the process every decade. he played a big part to that. it has to justify its existence, that it has to be accountable. >> when harry was paying tribute, i was looking at his words. i love what he said about his grandfather. he said, you never knew what he might say next. he called him the master of the barbecue, the legend of banter,

and cheeky right until the end. >> i love that. the legend of the banter, in particular, i from all the grandchildren. >> another thing william and harry said was prince philip would have said, "get on with it," which you really see that british stiff upper lip that we are all aware of, but also not wanting so much fuss. >> totally agree. i think what comes from that theme is also that we have to all remind ourselves, incredibly sad occasion, but what a life. 99 years. >> we are here today in st. george's chapel to commit into the hands of god the soul of his servant prince philip, duke of edinburgh. with grateful hearts, we remember the many ways in which his long life has been a blessing to us. we have been inspired by his

unwavering loyalty to our queen, by his service to the nation and the commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude, and faith. our lives have been enriched through the challenges that he has set us, the encouragement that he has given us, his kindness, humor, and mau manty. -- humanity. we, therefore, pray that god will give us grace to follow his example, and that with our brother, philip, at the last, we shall know the joys of life eternal.

♪♪ ♪ o hear us when we cry in peril or on the sea ♪ ♪ mighty word the wind and waves

who walk upon the deep and crown him ♪ ♪ o hear us when we cry to thee in peril or on the sea ♪♪

♪ o hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea ♪ ♪ o trinity of love and power thy children shield in danger's hour ♪ ♪ from rock and tempest fire and foe protect them where so ever they go ♪ ♪ thus, evermore shall rise to thee glad hymns of praise from land and sea ♪♪

>> a reading from the book ecclesiastes. look at the rainbow and praise its maker. it shines with a supreme beauty, rounding the sky with its gleaming arc. the bow bent by the hands of the most high. his command speeds the snowstorm and sends the swift lightning to execute his sentence. to that end, the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out

like birds. by his mighty power, the clouds are piled up and the hailstones broken small. the crash of his thunder makes the earth writhe. when he appears, an earthquake shakes the hills. at his will, the south wind blows. the squall from the north and the hurricane. he scatters the snowflakes like birds alighting. they settle like a swarm of locusts. the eye is dazzled by their beautiful whiteness, and as they fall, the mind is entranced. he spreads frost on the earth

like salt, and icicles form like pointed stakes. a cold blast from the north, and ice grows hard on the water, settling on every pool as though the water were putting on a breast plate. it consumes the hills, scorches the wilderness, and wilts the grass like fire. cloudy weather quickly puts all to right, and dew brings welcome relief after heat. by the power of his sword, he tamed the deep and planted it with islands. those who sail the sea tell stories of its dangers, which

astonish all who hear them. in it are strange and wonderful creatures, all kinds of living things, and huge sea monsters. by his own action, he achieves his end. and by his word, all things are held together. ♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ ♪ amen ♪

>> a reading from st. john's gospel. martha said to jesus, lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. and even now, i know that whatever you ask from god, god will give you. jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. martha said to him, i know that he will rise again in the

resurrection at the last day. jesus said to her, i am the resurrection and the life. he who believe in me, though he die, yet shall he live. and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. do you believe this? she said to him, "yes, lord. i believe that you are the christ, the son of god, he who is coming into the world." ♪♪

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♪ let us pray ♪ ♪ lord have mercy upon us christ have mercy on us ♪ ♪ lord have mercy on us ♪ ♪ our father

which art in heaven hallowed by thy name ♪ ♪ thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven ♪ ♪ give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses ♪ ♪ as we forgive them that trespass against us ♪ ♪ and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil amen ♪♪

♪ enter not into judgment with thy servant o lord ♪ ♪ for in thy sight shall no man living be justified ♪ ♪ grant unto him eternal rest and let light perpetual shine upon him ♪ ♪ we believe vrily to see the goodness of the lord in the land of the living ♪ ♪ o lord hear our prayer

and let our cry come unto thee ♪♪ >> o merciful god, the father of or lord jesus christ, who is the resurrection and the life, in whom whosoever believe shall live, though he die, and whosoever liveth, and believeth in him, shall not die eternally. who also hath taught us by his holy apostle l st. paul, not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him. we meekly beseech thee, o father that, when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth.

and that, at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing which thy well-beloved son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, come ye blessed children of my father. receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. grant this we beseech thee, o merciful father, through jesus christ, our mediator and redeemer. amen. >> o eternal god, before whose face the generations rise and pass away, thyself unchanged, abiding, we bless thy holy name for all who have completed their

earthly course in thy faith and following, and are now at rest. we remember before thee this day philip, duke of edinburgh, rendering thanks unto thee for his resolute faith and loyalty, for his high sense of duty and integrity, for his life of service to the nation and commonwealth, and for the courage and inspiration of his leadership. to him, with all the faithful departed, grant thy peace. let light perpetual shine upon them, and in thy loving wisdom and almighty power, work in them the good purpose of thy perfect will. through jesus christ our lord. amen. >> o lord, who didst give to thy

servant saint george grace to lay aside the fear of man, and to be faithful even unto death. grant that we, unmindful of worldly honor, may fight the wrong, uphold thy rule, and serve thee to our lives' end, through jesus christ our lord. amen. god, save our gracious sovereign and all the companions, living and departed, of the most honorable and noble order of the garter. amen. o god of the spirits of all flesh, we praise thy holy name for thy servant philip, duke of edinburgh, who has left us a fair pattern of valiant and true

knighthood. grant unto him the assurance of thine ancient promise, that thou wilt ever be with those who go down to the sea in ships and occupy their business in great waters. and we beseech thee that, following his good example and strengthened by his fellowship, we may at the last, together with him, be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom, through jesus christ our lord. amen. >> o lord god, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavor any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which

christ. amen. almighty god, father of all mercies and giver of all comfort, deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn. that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love, through jesus christ our lord. amen. ♪ give rest, o christ to thy servant

with thy saints ♪ ♪ where sorrow and pain are no more neither sighing but life everlasting ♪ ♪ thou only art immortal the creator and maker of man

and we are mortal formed of the earth ♪ ♪ and unto earth shall we returnthou didst ordai when thou created me, saying dust thou art

and unto dust shalt thou return ♪ ♪ all we go down to the dust and, weeping, over the grave ♪ ♪ we make our song alleluia, alleluia a alleluia ♪ ♪ give rest, o christ

to thy servant with thy saints ♪ ♪ where sorrow and pain are no more neither sighing but life everlasting ♪♪

>> go forth upon thy journey from this world, o christian soul, in the name of god the father almighty who created thee. in the name of jesus christ who suffered for thee. in the name of the holy spirit who strengtheth thee. may thy portion this day be in peace, and thy dwelling in the heavenly jerusalem. amen.

>> thus it hath pleased almighty god to take out of this transitory life unto his divine mercy the late most high, mighty, and illustrious prince, philip, duke of edinburgh, earl of merioneth and baron greenwich. knight of the most noble order of the garter. knight of the most ancient and most noble order of the thistle. member of the order of mer it. knight grand cross of the royal victorian order, upon whom had been conferred the royal victorian chain, grand master o empire, lord high admiral of the united kingdom, one majesty's most honorable privy council, admiral of the fleet, field marshal in the army, and

marshal of the royal air force, husband of her most excellent majesty elizabeth the second, by the grace of god of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, and of her other realms and territories, queen, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith, sovereign of the most noble order of the garter, whom may god preserve and bless with long life, health and honor, and all worldly happiness. ♪♪

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>> god, grant to the living grace, to the departed, rest. to the church, the queen, and the commonwealth and all people, unity, peace, and concord. and to us and all god's servants, life everlasting. and the blessing of god almighty, the father, son, and holy spirit, be with you all and remain with you always. amen. ♪ god save our

gracious queen long live our noble queen ♪ ♪ god save the queen send her victorious happy and glorious ♪ ♪ long to reign over us god save the queen ♪♪

♪♪ >> there concludes the funeral service for prince philip, the duke of edinburgh, who served by the queen's side for seven decades. what a poignant moment, to have the national anthem play its reframe, "god save the queen," and then to see the image of the queen standing alone for the first time in 73 years. >> wow. >> an astonishing moment as royal tradition has it. prince philip's coffin lowered right before their very eyes, hoda, into the royal vault. as his family members look on.

>> and we were just asking wilfred, is this his final resting place? but this is not. >> it's not. 25 other royal family members are down in the vaul he has gone down to. when the queen dies, he'll move to one of the north side of the chapel to be alongside her, where king george is. >> as we watch the family depart, some viewers may have noticed, on the prince's coffin, not only his personal standard, his flag and some royal mementos, but a letter, a letter from the queen herself. >> very touching. seeing her there, i'm sure she is hurting just an enormous amount. i am actually reminded of a phrase of her own that she wrote in an open letter to the people of new york, no less, after 9/11. she wrote that grief is the price we pay for love. the pain i'm sure she's feeling now, kind of in a weird way s a good thing. it shows what an amazing love

she shared for 73 years with her husband. doesn't help in the short term but -- >> what's interesting, wilfred, it was funny, i was just reading, they have so many beautiful love letters, and this one struck me. it was from philip to elizabeth before the wedding. to have been spared in the war and seen victory, to have been given a chance to rest, to readjust myself, to have fallen in love completely and unreservedly makes all one's personal and even the world's troubles seem small and petty. i mean, that was so moving to me, and it capsulizes their love. >> i think that's why people are touched not only by the service prince philip gave to his queen, but this was a true love match. this was a love story. i think that's why it was so profound in that moment in the chapel, when you have the archbishop saying, go forth on the journey, christian soul. you see the coffin descend into the royal vault, and the queen standing alone. let's bring in andrew robert, british historian. what are your thoughts on this

service? we did not see a traditional eulogy. many personal touches that the duke of edinburgh himself was involved in selecting. >> yes, the prince didn't want a eulogy. he was very adamant that that shouldn't happen. instead, though, you saw so many aspects of him. for those in peril on the sea, that wonderful hymn. he, himself, of course, was endlessly in peril on the sea during the second world war, specifically on the met trarian -- mediterranean and pacific. his aunt was murdered, and she became a saint in the russian orthodox church. again and again, you had these references to him. then, of course, the great moment where garter king of arms, the man who looks like the jack on the playing card, reads out his 15 honors, standing there in front of all of his orders and decorations.

it really was a tremendously moving moment. >> i think it is interesting that he did not want a eulogy because, you know, prince charles and all of his children and grandchildren have written such beautiful things about him, wilfred. >> i think it shows his commitment to sticking to what he wants and what the protocol is. officially, you don't have it. personally, i would have liked to see a little of those things broken. i would have loved to have seen something personal read out. i think no one could have any arguments with how great the service was. and it is a somber occasion. we are, of course, mourning his loss, but it is also celebrating his life. i think we should also try and remember that. what a life he led, the duty he served. the only thing i'd say now, they've observed the regulations so, so carefully, i hope, behind closed doors, they're breaking a couple and some people are giving her majesty the queen a hug. therefore, i'm sure all the family are. all the family, i know, have approached this thinking, this is about our grandfather, and it

is also about our grandmother. no one else. >> we'll watch as the queen departs in the ceremonial bentley. proceeds back to the residence on the grounds there of windsor castle. winifred, we talked about sophie, the prince's daughter-in-law, and what a beautiful remembrance she had. it was very personal, about the prince's final moments and his final days. >> yeah. stalled the heart of the nation, i think. they captured her outside of a sunday service. she said it was just like somebody took him by the hand, and off he went. she's thought to be very close, actually. well, all the family members are, but particularly in the last decade, to the queen. i think that summed it up. you saw in her those tears that came so naturally. above all, this has got a lot of ceremony to it. there goes her majesty the queen. it is a family mourning the loss of their grandfather, their father. >> let's go to ailsa anderson, who worked with the prince and

was friendly with him. just want to get your impressions of what you saw. >> well, i had the enormous privilege of going to a number of services at st. george's chapel, and it's always been crammed with people. so i think it's been especially moving to me to see just 30 people in there, which actually, i think, makes it more poignant, a more special and more personal service. of course, it is like many others across the nation and globe who have had to do it during a pandemic. i found it incredibly moving. i had a tear in my eye, and it made me remember the remarkable man i had the honor to serve. >> we're watching the family membes depart. william and kate, with harry not far behind, which will do good for citizens hoping to see the family together. hopefully they'll be able to share a hug with the queen. a grieving wife, a widow. i also hope they'll be able to

raise a pint, as the prince likes to do, we learned from ms. anderson, who worked for the queen and prince philip. hopefully, they'll be able to share a few memories and a few laughs, as well, for a life well lived. >> lovely to see harry and william there together, just reflect briefly on what sir john major, the former prime minister said, who was their guardian, which is, they're sharing emotion and sharing grief at this occasion. today is not about them, and there's a lot of work to do, but that's an encouraging sign. >> keir, we're watching these images. again, we see two brothers walking side by side, having a conversation. let's just get your final thoughts. >> reporter: yeah, i think, guys, that's just a wonderful moment to see. prince philip, of course, guided the family through so many challenges and difficult times. for the moment of his funeral, to be a moment where we see william and harry and kate together like that, that will

make headlines, of course. i think to the queen with her head bowed, people are reporting that they think they saw her wipe a tear at one point. i thought prince charles looked very emotional. of course, remember, prince charles, at times, felt that his father was really tough on him and didn't think that charles was strong enough. i think to see him show a little bit of emotion at his father's funeral is really touching. all thoughts will be with the queen, i think. having seen her sit alone like that, listening to that scottish piper play "the lament" as he walked from the chapel, and the royal marines play "the last post." incredibly moving. the end of an era, guys. >> i was just thinking that. wilfred, as we close here, it is the end of an era. but not yet. the queen still reigns, and she's about to have a birthday

herself. the longest serving monarch in british history. what an incredible woman of strength and who has shown that time and time again, and now is called again to show that strength. >> she will be feeling such pain today, but she is the most resilient person, frankly, i've ever seen. she said it is a job for life. nothing will change there. she is our sovereign. she is our head of state, and she will be until the day she dies. i just say, thank you for your service, sir, to prince philip, and may he rest in peace. >> may he rest in peace. he has been sent off with a touching, personal, and dignified farewell, one that fits him and fits the time. we take one last look at windsor castle, where prince philip, duke of edinburgh, has been laid to rest at 99 years old. that concludes this nbc news special report. but before we leave you today, we wanted to give you a look at a marriage that stood the test of time, as the queen reflected on her trusted companion and her beloved husband, prince philip, on their golden anniversary back

in 1997. >> indeed. so for all ofou have a good day. >> all too often, i fear prince philip has had to listen to me speaking. frequently, we have discussed my intended speech beforehand. as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner. he is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments. but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years. and i and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim or we shall ever know.

♪♪ . narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. dylan: hi there. i'm dylan dreyer, and this is "earth odyssey". today, we trek to the far east of asia to explore some of the most exotic animals that call this region home... [bird screeching] dylan: ...like this romantic squirrel who won't let distance or fate get in the way of attracting his mate. and later, this crustacean needs a vacation after dealing with one of its many predators. plus, you'll hear all about the deafening honk of one of the far east of asia's favorite swans.