Australia has not been forgotten amid the grief caused by Prince Philip’s death and the complicated preparations for a royal funeral in the middle of a pandemic.
The Queen made a phone call to her representative in Australia, Governor-General David Hurley, last night.
“The purpose was to check on how we’re doing,” he said.
“She was preparing, of course, for the funeral today, but she was very considerate of what conditions here in Australia, asking about the pandemic, bushfires, floods and cyclones.
“So amidst her personal grief, she was very much aware of what was happening here in Australia, and concern for us.”
The world’s eyes are on Windsor Castle today as the royal family farewells the Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9, aged 99.
Instead of the 800 mourners included in the longstanding funeral plans for his funeral, there will be only 30 inside St George’s Chapel, due to coronavirus restrictions.
The guest list includes the widowed queen, her four children and eight grandchildren as well as three of Philip’s European relatives.
Separately, more than 700 military personnel are set to take part, including army bands, Royal Marine buglers and an honour guard drawn from across the armed forces.
The prince himself was closely involved in planning the funeral, incorporating many nods to his military past and his own personality.
That includes the transporting of his body to the chapel in a modified Land Rover Defender he designed himself.
This content first appear on 9news