Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ride an open-top Land Rover during a visit to Fiji in 1963. The Duke of Edinburgh has long been associated with the marque. Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ride an open-top Land Rover during a visit to Fiji in 1963. The Duke of Edinburgh has long been associated with the marque. Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ride an open-top Land Rover during a visit to Fiji in 1963. The Duke of Edinburgh has long been associated with the marque. Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ride an open-top Land Rover during a visit to Fiji in 1963. The Duke of Edinburgh has long been associated with the marque. Getty Images

Prince Philip funeral: Custom-made Land Rover to carry Duke of Edinburgh through Windsor Castle


Simon Wilgress-Pipe
  • English
  • Arabic

A custom-built Land Rover will make a poignant journey at the funeral of Prince Philip, as the vehicle will carry the Duke of Edinburgh to his final resting place on Saturday.

The gesture is particularly moving, as the late royal, who died on Friday aged 99, had a hand in designing the vehicle himself.

Long known as a motoring enthusiast, reports suggest Prince Philip helped a team of Jaguar Land Rover engineers create the modified vehicle that will drive through the grounds of Windsor Castle on Saturday.

Buckingham Palace confirmed to The Sun that the purpose-built Land Rover has been specially modified to carry his coffin.

Prince Philip with a 1960s ceremonial Land Rover once owned by the The Queen Mother, during a visit the Prince Philip Barracks at MOD Lyneham, England, in 2016. Getty Images
Prince Philip with a 1960s ceremonial Land Rover once owned by the The Queen Mother, during a visit the Prince Philip Barracks at MOD Lyneham, England, in 2016. Getty Images

The duke was known to favour the marque, and was frequently seen in various versions of vehicles produced by the manufacturer during his lifetime.

The Land Rover will form part of the ceremony where the world will bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II's husband of more than seven decades, in a slimmed-down affair due to the impact of Covid-19.

Special vehicle aside, the duke also played a central role in planning the service, which is expected to be televised in more than 100 countries across the globe.

“It will be what’s known as a ceremonial royal funeral,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. “The plans for the funeral are very much in line with the Duke of Edinburgh’s own personal wishes.”

The ceremonial event will take place at St George’s Chapel at 3pm local time, with the number of mourners restricted to 30 people to comply with the UK’s Covid restrictions.

There will be no public access, no public processions and the funeral will take place entirely within the grounds of Windsor Palace.

The presence of the Land Rover is fitting, as a car produced by the traditionally solid brand is believed to have saved the duke’s life after he was involved in a motor accident outside the Queen’s Sandringham estate two years ago.

The prince was not injured at the time, but the Land Rover he was driving ended up on its side.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

UAE Premiership

Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes

Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai

Name: Brendalle Belaza

From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

Arrived in the UAE: 2007

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus

Favourite photography style: Street photography

Favourite book: Harry Potter

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

Company%20profile
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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Brown/Black belt finals

3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

West Asia Premiership

Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles

Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain

Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins