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CNN Live Event/Special

Prince Philip Laid to Rest at St. George's Chapel; Prince William and Prince Harry Walk Together After Ceremony; Prince Philip, Queen's Husband of 73 Years, is Laid to Rest; Royal Family Gathers to Say Goodbye to Prince Philip; United Kingdom Honors the Life of Prince Philip; Scotland Remembers Prince Philip. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired April 17, 2021 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:19]

HALA GORANI, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world and to our continuing coverage of the funeral of principle. I'm Hala Gorani. We're coming to you live from Windsor. Welcome, everybody.

The Duke of Edinburgh, husband to Queen Elizabeth, VV (ph) veteran and beloved father and grandfather has been laid to rest at St. George's Chapel here in Windsor. Take a look.

While it was a day of remembrance for a man who lived a full life who died at 99 years old, it was also a day of reconciliation for the British Royal Family, gathering to honor the Duke's long life and his service to the United Kingdom. And if you weren't watching, here's a look at what happened in the last couple of hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CONNER, DEAN OF WINDSOR: 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. We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen.

Our lives have been enriched through the challenges that he has set us, the encouragement that he has given us, his kindness, humour and humanity.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: 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.

DEAN OF WINDSOR: Oh, 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 passion of valiant and true knighthood.

GARTER PRINCIPAL KING OF ARMS: 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, Baron Greenwich, her most excellent majesty, Elizabeth II.

[MUSIC]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:05:00]

GORANI: And there you have it. This is what unfolded over the last several hours here in Windsor. And because of COVID restrictions, you noticed, of course, it was a very small affair. Had this not been conducted during a pandemic and with all of these COVID rules in place, you could have expected hundreds of people. It would have been a much bigger affair. And also mourners lining the streets of Windsor here, when you walk up and down the streets here, it's a very different atmosphere to what you would have expected if this had been, of course, any sort of normal 'day'.

Let's go to the Windsor streets where CNN's Bianca Nobilo is standing by with more on the reaction there and more of what we saw, which was really a family affair, Bianca, today. Only 30 people in that chapel.

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Hala. It's important to keep that in mind that this was at the heart of it, a family goodbye for Prince Philip which, of course, the Royal Family allowed the public and the world to share in by televising the event.

You mentioned the extraordinary circumstances and the mood here in Windsor has obviously reflected that. Ordinarily, we'd expect to see thousands of people lining the streets, but only 30 people were allowed into the funeral, contrast that with the 2,200 allowed for the last royal funeral here in the United Kingdom, The Queen Mother in 2002.

So there was no one camping overnight, people weren't allowed to leave tributes of flowers or messages on the streets outside Windsor Castle, but instead they're encouraged to express their condolences online. And to ensure that the public cooperated with the COVID-19 protocols, there was a heavy police presence, although they, I must say, handle everything with a light touch very sensitively, there were also many stewards to make sure that people kept moving and that crowds didn't gather. We did see some crowds, but overall, those - the ask of the Royal Family was definitely complied with by the public.

Now, as for the funeral itself, it was incredibly poignant. What I hear from people and my experience of watching it as well was the sadness of seeing the Queen on her own for the first time at a public event without her consort of 73 years. And many people in the country can relate to that sad, alone figure because with COVID-19 having spread throughout the entire world, so many people have lost loved ones and have had to endure similar funerals saying goodbye with just a few of their closest and nearest and dearest.

We also saw Prince William and Prince Harry together for the first time (inaudible) since that explosive interview that we've heard so much about. They were separated by social distancing and by masks. And from what we gather, much else. But they were there together to remember their grandfather.

And something I hear from people in Windsor and further afield this week is the fact that the Duke planned his funeral so meticulously and his fingerprints were all over it. It enabled the public to reconnect with him and to learn about his life and what he's actually done for the United Kingdom.

And that applies to people who are of younger generations and wouldn't have known about his naval service, perhaps what he gave up to support Queen Elizabeth II. And also people who are of his generation or the greatest generation who was still learning new aspects to his service and dedication to the Royal Family over all these years, Hala.

GORANI: All right. Bianca, thanks very much. We'll get back to you soon.

Kate Williams is here with me. And Bianca alluded to this, princes William and Harry walking side by side. I wonder if this was an opportunity for reconciliation.

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, certainly unity, reconciliation and reminding the brothers about what they've been through together. Of course, when Princess Diana died, Prince Philip was so concerned to protect the two boys keep them in Balmoral and it was very striking, just watching that footage that we've just seen of William and Harry coming out of the funeral. And it looked like Harry moving towards William, talking to William, reconciling.

And I think certainly, we know there has been a rift, it was made clear in the Oprah interview. And certainly, I think Harry was very struck by coming over today in a service about military service, which is so important to him. And I know deep down he wants his brother to - the relationship better and he wants a bit more conversations and hopefully these conversations will be able to begin now.

GORANI: Yes. You always try to imagine what will be the picture or the front pages of the newspapers will go with the next day and my guess is it'll probably be the Queen with her head bowed in St. George's Chapel. She looked and obviously understandably this is her companion of 73 years. But it was such a poignant image of her alone, again, because of COVID restrictions. She couldn't have her relatives holding her hand are sitting by her side.

[12:10:02]

It was heartbreaking, wasn't it?

GORANI: Right.

WILLIAMS: To see this lady who has lost her husband of 73 years. They've known each other since they were children. She's been in love with him since she was 13. He's been her lead man of life and limb as he swore at the coronation and now she has lost him. And there was no one could even sit beside her to hold her hands. It was such a poignant heartbreaking image about what the Queen has given in terms of duty and service, her grieving in front of the cameras. And also, I think, such an image for so many people across Britain and

across the world who've lost people in the pandemic, who've lost people in this past year and haven't been able to mourn as they wished. They've had to mourn their loved ones alone and that's when you need your family, isn't it, when you've lost someone and they couldn't gather around her in the way that she needed.

GORANI: And this is all happening at a time of crisis for the Royal Family. You mentioned the rift between Harry and William. The whole Meghan accusing the family of focusing on race, especially that comment that she made about one member of the Royal Family asking how dark the baby will be.

I mean, this all made a lot of news. It was very controversial. It did not necessarily reflect well on the Royal Family. How is this playing into that bigger picture, do you think this day?

WILLIAMS: Well, yes, obviously Meghan really exposed life in the heart of the Royal Family and it was one where she felt very unsupported, that racist abuse, there was no support of this and there were comments within the Royal Family as well. This was a very difficult image and I think for the Royal Family who are head of a diverse multicultural country in Britain and other countries across the world and also the Prince Andrew fallout. There has been a lot of controversy.

The Royal Family want their focus to be on their good works and this hasn't happened. And certainly, Harry and Meghan I personally wish they could have had a half in half out model as they wished. This wasn't the case, but they are such powerful, important people to the Royal Family. If they can be brought in to the Royal Family, they will give them so much.

GORANI: A last one on this topic, what happens now with the Royal Family because this is really an era ending in the sense that a generation is now leaving us and it will be the next generation's job to take over. Prince Charles is obviously the heir. What happens now? How does this change the Royal Family?

WILLIAMS: This just changed the war family. Next year is the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. She's the first British monarch ever to celebrate it, just one of a few in the whole world. And she will sadly be celebrating it without her beloved consort by her side.

And certainly people are saying where do we go next to the monarchy. The Queen, she will she will never abdicate. She is devoted to service. But she's given so much and she's in her 90s. Surely we must think now she might be allowed some period of rest, some period to be alone with her mementos in Windsor Castle. We understand she's sorting through Philip's papers and his belongings and for other Royals to really take on more of her duties and more of her travel, because really, she has given her entire life to duty and service.

And I think we might say that she deserves some time at this present moment to be alone with her memories. GORANI: In fact, we don't know for sure what's happening to them and

presumably she's going back to her quarters and just grieving like any wife would.

WILLIAMS: There is some talks that there may be sort of small wake with very, very close members of the Royal Family. But we don't have any confirmation either way from the palace. But legally that will be possible, obviously outsidely (ph) possible and that would be - it would be wonderful where further conversations in the Royal Family should be there and some support for her because she was so striking to see her alone in the chapel.

I saw lots of on social media saying, well, I may not be a royalist or I may not love the royal family, but my heart breaks for her. It really does.

GORANI: Sure. Well, you always feel bad when people are grieving and going through probably one of the toughest days of their lives. Thanks very much, Kate Williams. We'll speak soon.

Let us go now to New York, CNN's Richard Quest, who's covered the Royals for many years. And it was interesting to see that the fingerprints of Prince Philip were really all over this event, but it had to be modified so drastically, Richard, because of these COVID restrictions.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You take an event that was 30, 40 years in the planning. You then - which would have had nearly a thousand people in the Abbey with a procession of 22 miles, which is why they had the green Land Rover that was designed specially by the Duke. And you then have to consortina it into just Windsor Castle and at the same time pay respects to all of the things that the Duke found or that were important to him, the Navy, the military service that he had and, of course, the family.

[12:15:00]

So for example, today, we didn't see Prince Michael of Kent. There were numerous members of minor Royals of the Royal Family that we didn't see because they were above the 30 threshold. And even the Prime Minister, even the Prime Minister Boris Johnson wasn't able to attend. But now look at what you're watching. The ability to distill from an abbreviated, truncated service behind masks and, Hala, what we saw, of course, the beauty of the choir singing in the main part of the chapel, which had been converted, emptied.

The trumpeters, the buglers, I think they did a spectacular job of giving dignity and making this an occasion that did not feel second best.

GORANI: Richard Quest in New York, thanks very much for that. It was an event that stood out because it was so much more intimate than it would have been had it gone according to the original plan. According to what you would expect from the Royal Family laying to rest the consort of the reigning monarch. Well, Prince Philip was well known for his wit and charm, there was

also some controversy throughout his life. We'll learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh's personality with the man who literally wrote the book on it. We'll be right back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:19:06]

GORANI: Well, you're back with CNN's special coverage of the funeral of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II and Britain's longest serving consort laid to rest today with prayers, songs and military tones throughout.

More than 700 members of the British Armed Forces took part Prince Philip's service. In the Royal Navy, of course, a very important part of his life and something he wanted to reflect in these ceremonies, this is an event that he had a part in planning.

[12:20:03]

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson was not able to attend a funeral today because of COVID restrictions. But when he got the news of the Duke of Edinburgh's death, he sent out a lengthy tribute in part saying, "Prince Philip earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world."

Let's bring CNN's Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson. He's coming to us live from Downing Street. Of course, if we hadn't had these COVID restrictions, you would have expected the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, to attend. This wasn't the case today. Talk to us a little bit about how obviously this was a very unique event considering the exceptional circumstances.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Hala. And it wouldn't just have been Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it would have been - you would have expected Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada and many of the other leaders from around the Commonwealth.

The Queen in the past few days, spoke on the phone with Prime Minister Trudeau, Canada had eight days of mourning. Along with the Queen, Prince Philip travelled around the world with Royal Yacht Britannia alone more than 700 journeys around the world.

Solo trips, Prince Philip made 637 solo trips around the world. Many of those were to Commonwealth countries. He was well connected with the Commonwealth. To the Royal Family, the Commonwealth is a family and we all know that in normal times, at funerals, this is when families gather. And so there would have been many, many leaders from around the Commonwealth. The Queen has had respects sent from leaders in Pakistan, from New Zealand, from Jamaica. In fact, in the islands around Vanuatu, Prince Philip is really revered by some people there.

So his connection around the Commonwealth would have drawn a lot more people to the to the funeral, so not just Prime Minister Boris Johnson. And in a way, his passing is one of those moments that does sort of reconnect that family, that family of nations that the Royal Family holds so dear. So, yes, Prime Minister Boris Johnson making a statement and really, for COVID reasons but also today, not in Downing Street behind me here, there's country residents checkers, respecting and following the funeral and making a very brief comment about it.

But really, this was a day for the Royal Family and that was due to the COVID.

GORANI: All right. Nic Robertson at 10 Downing Street, thanks very much. We'll be coming back to Nic for more reaction and new developments.

On this day, the day Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest in Windsor. Prince Philip knew the rules for royal discretion, but that doesn't mean you always follow them. In fact, he was famous for not following some of the rules.

My next guest wrote a book about Prince Philip's life. It's called I Know I Am Rude, But It Is Fun: Prince Philip on Himself, the Queen and Others. Nigel Cawthorne joins me now live from London.

So he was unfiltered, Prince Philip, but he was unfiltered within the framework of what was acceptable for the Royal Family, because he was always a great support to Her Majesty, the Queen.

NIGEL CAWTHORNE, AUTHOR, "I KNOW I AM RUDE, BUT IT IS FUN": Well, indeed, yes. And he was a British in a way only a foreigner could be. Of course, when he first came to this country who was travelling on a Danish passport, but he became more English than the English - I think he'd probably read too much P. G. Woodhouse though.

GORANI: There was some controversy, of course. I mean, some of the comments he made on trips to China and the rest of it, even in their time in the '80s when he said them, there were some comments that were considered not necessarily - perhaps a little bit even more than rude, you would argue. What was his personality like at its core?

CAWTHORNE: Well, yes, again, I think he was playing the sort of Edwardian gentlemen and reflecting the views of those times rather than the current sensibilities. And he's terribly difficult position when you think about it. He's a man who's been stripped of his nationality, his names was changed, his religion was changed, he was originally a Greek Orthodox, everything about him was manufactured over here, manufactured rather skillfully by itself as we said, but that's how he fitted into this role so well.

[12:25:01]

GORANI: Yes. What about his relationship with the Queen? What was their marriage like? I mean, we are saying now that they had a loving long marriage. It was (inaudible) 73 years that she fell in love with him as a teenager at the age of 13 when she first met him. How close were they? Because then there are other stories that by today's standards sound unusual. They didn't share a bedroom, for instance. He cooked his own breakfast in his quarters. What was their relationship like? CAWTHORNE: Very interesting to imagine the Queen cooking breakfast.

But, of course, this is not a day to bring out the infidelities on either side. It was an enduring relationship, despite those things. They were just mutual support that, of course, he came to this country as a penniless refugee and did rather well for himself, as we said, and she plainly needed him by her side.

GORANI: Yes. The Queen released a photo of them looking very happy sitting on a picnic blanket, it looked like, in Scotland, in the Balmoral, on the grounds of the Balmoral estate. And this is a photo, a private photo that she - there it is on our screen there for our viewers, she chose that particular photo. What did you make of that?

CAWTHORNE: Well, no doubt over the years, a great romance, the way it started out, turned into an enduring friendship. And when you think about it, in that sort of position, that there's no one else you can count on apart from each other. All of those people around you, flunkies and yes-man, you can't really trust, so you have no alternative but to cling together.

GORANI: Yes. Nigel Cawthorne, thanks so much for joining us, I Appreciate it on this day.

And coming up, we go to Scotland, speaking of Scotland, where the Royal Family's floating palace is docked and have a look at Prince Philip's relationship with Scotland and his relationship with the sea. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:07]

GORANI: We continue our special coverage of the funeral of Prince Philip. I'm Hala Gorani. I'm coming to you live from Windsor.

It is the end of an era here in Britain, the nation's longest serving consort Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband for 73 years has been laid to rest at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. If you've been watching, you will know it was an event full of the pomp and ceremony you would expect for such an essential member of the British monarchy. But, of course, only 30 friends and family members were allowed to attend the service because of COVID restriction, so it was a very pared down affair.

In a day of remembrance and reconciliation, they gathered to honor the Duke's long life and service to the United Kingdom. Prince Philip's journey to his resting place today began at the family's private chapel where he was laying since the day of his death. His coffin was taken to the inner hall of Windsor Castle at dawn and then carried by a modified Land Rover, which Prince Philip himself helped design.

It carried his coffin to St. George's Chapel. The coffin was followed by just a few top members of the Royal Family traveling on foot behind. The Land Rover, led by the Duke's eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne. You see them both there in the front row. The walking order, piquing the interest of a lot of people watching at

home, because, of course, William and Harry were placed in the same row, but not shoulder to shoulder. They were separated in the procession by a cousin.

But after the ceremony, they were seen walking together and chatting. The death of their grandfather, perhaps, bringing the two brothers together after a very public rift following that interview that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey in the United States.

Now, the Queen went separately with a lady-in-waiting in a State Bentley. And as the hearse arrived for the service, God Save the Queen was played by a military band.

Well, the coffin was then taken inside the chapel and gunshots from the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery signaled the minute of silence, taking place not just in Windsor, but across the country today.

Well, again, as I mentioned a much smaller affair because of COVID restrictions. Inside the chapel, the service included prayer said by the Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the choir songs chosen by the Duke of Edinburgh himself.

Then Prince Philip's coffin was lowered into the Royal vault, below the chapel as the choir sang the national anthem. Pared down choir, as you can see there, just a few people. There, the coffin and Prince Philip will rest until the death of the Queen when he will be moved to another part of the chapel and rest by her side.

Now, despite being royalty and having the eyes of the world upon him, Prince Philip was simply a grandpa to his grandchildren, among them the second in line to the throne, Prince William. Now, the two had a special relationship. He and the Duchess of Cambridge paid their respects earlier at his funeral.

Clarissa Ward joins me now from their home, Kensington Palace. And a lot of people, of course, were observing the procession. The close family following the modified Land Rover to see whether or not Harry and William would be standing shoulder to shoulder and they did come together after the actual funeral service, Clarissa.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That's right, Hala. I think there was a lot of anticipation about this moment. This is the first time the brothers have been seen in public together in over a year. The first time they've seen each other, in fact, since Prince Harry moved to California and since that famous interview where he talked about the strain on the relationship between the brothers.

And so while today was absolutely about honoring the memory and celebrating the life of Prince Philip, a lot of people were waiting to see what the relationship would look like between the two brothers. There was a lot of speculation about the fact that Peter Phillips, as you mentioned, the Prince Philip's eldest grandson was actually walking in between them. They also sat separately in the church. [12:35:05]

But then, as you mentioned, when they left the church, they naturally just started walking together, chatting with each other, shoulder to shoulder. And I think that sent a really powerful message that this day, the memory of Prince Philip transcends everything.

And what a palpable memory that is, particularly for Prince Harry and for Prince William, who were both very, very close to their grandfather. Prince Harry talked in his tribute about the wonderful beers and barbecues that they would enjoy together. Prince William talked about how Prince Philip would take his three children off on horse and carriage rides. And they shared this love of humor, and adventure, and sports, and polo and he really played such a pivotal role in their life.

Even if you think of those moments, watching them now walking behind his casket, you can't help, Hala, but remember, of course, the sight of those two boys walking behind their mother's casket, Princess Diana, after her death. And it was Prince Philip who played a big role in giving them the strength to do that, giving them the sucker to do that saying, I'll do it if you do it and walking alongside them.

And so I think you felt that really strongly today, that hugely pivotal relationship in these two princes' lives and that being very much the focal point for the two princes and for the Royal Family, Hala.

GORANI: What do we know about how the rest of the day will unfold? We saw, of course, what really ended up being a very private intimate funeral largely because of COVID restrictions. What is happening this afternoon and this evening, do we know?

WARD: We don't know much and it's all going to be very private from what we understand. One other detail that I wanted to mention in terms of what people were speculating about the day was, of course, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle herself was not there. But she did send a wreath which was made up of locally sourced flowers from around Windsor. She also sent a handwritten note and she said that she was watching the service from her home in California.

But clearly due to medical reasons because she's heavily pregnant, but also, I think, perhaps out of a desire not to have today be about the rift in the family, but have today instead be about this family coming together and mourning such a towering figure in their lives.

GORANI: Clarissa Ward, thanks very much live at Kensington Palace.

Let's go now to Scotland, Prince Philip was, of course, Duke of Edinburgh, Isa Soares is aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia known as the royal families floating palace. So talk to us a little bit about reaction there, because there is such an emotional attachment that this Royal Family has with Scotland, because of Balmoral and because so many of the immediate family members of Prince Philip went to university in Scotland. How are people reacting today on this day that the Prince is laid to rest? ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he was incredibly loved here for

the reasons you just outlined there, Hala. He loved Scotland. The people we've spoken to also love the fact he was very much what you see what you get. He was a lover of great outdoors.

The image, I think, the Royal Family put out today, one of the Queen's favorite photos, in fact, I think you - our viewers can see it - is of the Prince and the Queen sitting down in the highlands looking very relaxed and very happy too. And this just shows that, yes, she is queen, but they've been beside each other, by each other's side for more than 70 years and that's what it comes down to.

And they love this place, in particular the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was their home away from home, Hala, for more than 40 years, 44 years to be exact. And it was a mix of his love for the seas and her love for peace and tranquility and being away from the limelight, which she was for many years.

Now, the Royal Yacht Britannia, so our viewers get a sense, was decommissioned in 1997. But for all of those years, for those 44 years or so, it went to more than 700 overseas territories and it sailed more than 1 million miles. So it really was a home away from home from them.

I want to give you a little tour if I could, if I've got time. Come with me, Marty (ph). I want to take you to the sun deck here. This is a deck. This is a sun lounge area and we know this is one of the rooms that the Queen loved the most, Hala, as well as Prince Philip. It was here that they both could relax.

He was an avid outdoors person as you know, bird watcher. He actually wrote a book about birds that he spotted on Britannia, which I spotted downstairs. And he loved to paint it easel here. But it was here that they had time to sit down and look out of the deck and look at the children, their grandchildren actually being able to play out here.

[12:40:08]

They have very fond memories. In fact, this whole walkway that leads to their room is dotted with photos of the Queen wearing trousers in very relaxed atmosphere that we rarely see her. Come with me. I'm going to take - I want to take you to the Royal bedrooms.

Now, the first bedroom here is the Queen's bed, single bed as you can see. It was furniture from the 1950s, modest in the decor. The linen was actually from Queen Victoria's time. But it was very much their liking photos still from the Royal Family and people would be like, well, the single beds.

Yes. It's very common in European royal families that the couples sleep in separate bedrooms, but there was an adjoining door if I can come (inaudible) back. This is Prince Philip's. It was done to his own taste, his own decor, very simple, also a single bed. But this is where they spent some 44 years of their life and they have wonderful memories. And for Prince Philip, Hala, it was incredibly poignant because this,

of course, had his two loves; his loves of the seas, being out sailing as well as being that next to the love of his life, Hala.

GORANI: All right. Separate bedroom, maybe that's the secret to a long marriage, who knows. Isa Soares, thanks very much.

SOARES: I thought you might say that.

GORANI: Seventy-three years, they did something right. Thanks very much.

For the first time in seven decades, Queen Elizabeth does not have Prince Philip by her side. We'll take a look at live now for Britain's longest serving monarch, a sad day for Queen Elizabeth as the country says goodbye to the Duke of Edinburgh. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:44:01]

GORANI: At this hour, the Royal Family is at Windsor Castle after the funeral of Prince Philip. Queen Elizabeth arrived at the ceremony dressed in black, of course, met by the Dean of Windsor who conducted the funeral. It was filled with personal touches with the Duke of Edinburgh's favorite hymns and music.

It very much reflected Prince Philip even though it was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and the service itself was limited to 30 attendees. After the service, the prince was laid to rest at St. George's Chapel after years of service to his country and his Queen, 73 years of marriage.

We want to look at Queen Elizabeth as she reigns without her husband of 73 years now. My next guest, Robert Hartman has covered the Royal Family for more than 20 years. He's the author of Queen of the World and a journalist for the Daily Mail. Thank you, Robert Hartman, for being with us.

You were inside, you were on the grounds of the castle today. Tell us more about what you witnessed.

[12:45:02]

ROBERT HARTMAN, AUTHOR, "QUEEN OF THE WORLD": It was an extraordinary experience. It's probably the most intimate state occasion I think I've ever seen. You had all of the wonderful pageantry of all the regiments, all the units that the beat was associated with and all the family there. And that was it, nobody else.

It lend a real poignancy and the sight of the Queen sitting there on her own and desperately sad, but beautiful. And at one point, she was going into the chapel, she turned around as the rest of the family sort of said, come on. I just think it was a real privilege for all those who were there today to have seen that. And I think, what everyone has been through, not just in Britain, but around the world in the last year or so, so many people have had to say farewell to loved ones in these very strange circumstances. I think a lot of people will have been immensely touched by that service.

GORANI: Describe the Queen's demeanor.

HARTMAN: Well, she was wearing a mask which, in a way, was a possibly an advantage for her. I don't know. I mean, it was obviously an extraordinarily sensitive moment. But she was - clearly, she didn't need any sort of help going in and she was walking purposefully.

And people I think tend to look back to what happened to Queen Victoria after Prince Albert died, who she just sort of withdrew from public life. That is not going to happen at all.

GORANI: What makes you say that?

HARTMAN: Because already this week we've seen her having conversations with, for example, with her Commonwealth Prime Minister. She was doing a video audience with Justin Trudeau the other day. She's been talking to her Governor's generals. She's been getting on with things.

All the elements of today, all of that was run by her or signed off by her. She's very much still in charge. Very sad, but duty comes before self. That's her motto. And I will not be surprised if next month, we see her, once again, fulfilling her ultimate constitutional duty because it's the state opening of Parliament in a week's time and she'll be there.

GORANI: Sure. You filmed a documentary some years ago with the Duke where you drove around Windsor, you were telling me. I mean, we know of his public persona off-the-cuff, unscripted, a few gaps peppered here and there, obviously. What's he like though one-on-one when there aren't necessarily hordes of people paying attention to what he's doing and saying?

HARTMAN: He was great fun. You had to do your homework. I mean, he doesn't - there's no cliche. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, but he really doesn't. And I would ask what he would call a damn fool question and he just looked at sort of say, what and you just sort of had to hold your nerve.

But, yes, he was talking about everything. We drove around the park. We look around the castle, because of because he was the man who put the castle back together after the terrible fire of 1992. He led the restoration. So he was very proud of that, he wanted to talk about his park. Everything from his capital to his - he's opened a farm shop selling Sandringham apple juice and local meats.

I mean, he's been a real presence in this entire community really ever since the Queen came to the throne. Everybody, you talk to anyone in Windsor that have seen him out riding carriage horses.

GORANI: Very well loved in Windsor.

HARTMAN: Very loved. GORANI: How did you end up being on the castle grounds by the way

today as a journalist or ...

HARTMAN: I was there with the British broadcaster, yes, commentating and it was just a huge privilege to be there. Because this is a man who has done so much in years of service and yet at no point in it there's no eulogy, no address, normally at a funeral.

GORANI: Why no eulogy? That was a question I have.

HARTMAN: Partly it's the Royal way, partly it's the Prince Philip way. He would rather let his achievements speak for themselves. So at no point in the service was already referenced to the rest of the family, except for the one very powerful moment where Garter King of Arms who's sort of in charge of all of these heraldry and coats of arms and all of that, read out, recited the styles and titles of the Duke and in the middle of them, and he's reading out all these ancient titles, the most honorable and most noble and all of a sudden - suddenly in the middle, there's this one word, husband. That only mention actually this is a family man.

But on the other hand, he didn't need to say any of that, because it's so obvious from all of the tributes we've seen and heard this week that he's so loved.

GORANI: Quick last one. I mean, he was the consort, so he was not the main attraction. He was not the boss. The boss is the Queen Elizabeth. How did he manage that? At a time when men were certainly more used to being at the forefront, calling the shots, yet here he was the eternal number two.

HARTMAN: He was the eternal number two except for today ...

GORANI: Today.

HARTMAN: ... when precedents - when it was put to one side and he was the star of the show.

GORANI: Yes.

[12:50:04]

HARTMAN: I mean, I think people thought it was very difficult, but we have to remember he was born into a Royal Family. His grandfather was a king. He kind of knew - his whole family knew the way it works. So the other thing was the Queen was always very keen for him to be like the father of the family privately. He was very much ...

GORANI: The head of household.

HARTMAN: ... he was the head of house. And I thought it was very nice today that also his family were included, all of the major families into which his sister's married from Germany. They were here too. And I think that was a very - it was very touching, because they weren't allowed to come to his wedding because they were from Germany and (inaudible) they're here today to say goodbye. GORANI: Robert Hartman, author, Queen of the World, journalist with

the Daily Mail, thank you very much for joining us.

HARTMAN: Thank you.

GORANI: I really appreciate it.

Prince Philip was described as the Queen's rock, coming up. We'll take a look back at a royal love story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:53:05]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH: I Think that the main lesson that we've learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage. It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when things get difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: The relationship between Prince Philip and the Queen is considered one of the greatest love stories in modern times, certainly one of the longest. They were married for more than seven decades after first meeting as a very young people in the 1930s.

One of the Queen's cousins says he was 'her rock' and was rarely far from her side when it came to everything from visits abroad, to celebrations like the Diamond Jubilee which marked an incredible 60 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth.

The Prince himself once said the essential ingredient to any marriage is tolerance. Something he said was especially vital when times get tough. And few relationships have ever been so closely in the public eye as theirs.

Max Foster joins me live here in Windsor for one final thought on today. First a word about their relationship because I do wonder, I mean, obviously he was 99 years old. He lived a very full life, but losing a partner of 73 years is devastating.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Particularly when he's your work partner as well or your soul mate and your most trusted advisor, the person that's been with you throughout as well. And the one person you could be normal with. She's lost all of that. She basically needs to rely now on her lady-in-waiting which she's very close to. She can be relatively normal with her, Susan Hussey. And then it's William and Charles.

So that's the future shape of the British monarchy. We're looking at a transition phase. She'll never step down, but she's certainly going to be handing over more and more and they will become the face of the monarchy and I think it is both of them.

[12:55:00]

Because Charles just isn't as popular as William. He's not as popular as the Queen and that way, I think, they'll manage that is to try to, of course, rehabilitate, which wasn't great after the Oprah interview. But also to show that William will follow Charles. I don't think it's ever a case that Charles will be skipped over.

But it's a group we're getting now that - when we see key constitutional events, I think we're going to see those two instead of the Queen increasingly and hopefully we'll get used to the idea of ultimately Charles becoming King.

GORANI: Yes. It is the end of an era though. I mean, this is really a generation that is going to start really passing power responsibilities and the face of the Royal Family to the next generation.

FOSTER: Yes. The each generation has to reflect their generation, which is why we see William and Harry being a lot more relaxed and chatty. But then the Queen was completely revolutionary in her time as well. She really popularized the walkabout, Royals didn't go and meet people and she invited cameras in so you could see her meeting people, we can see are amongst the people.

And the way she embraced media was really one of the main reasons how she - way she managed to remain relevant and that was Prince Philip driving that. He drove a lot of the modernizations and he's almost as responsible somewhat argues the Queen for this monarchy being so successful. Who knows when we'll see the Queen again, but she looks strong today, didn't she? And we didn't get the close ups because that was not the deal but she looks like she's going to carry on.

GORANI: Yes. I imagined tomorrow's newspapers and I think it's going to be the shot of her mourning for her husband wearing that black mask and dressed in black. Thanks very much. Max Foster, our Royal Correspondent. And thanks to all of you for watching our special coverage of the funeral of Prince Philip.

I'm Hala Gorani live in Windsor. You're watching CNN.