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

The royal reportedly had a hand in personalising the vehicle, which will carry him to St George's Chapel

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh pictured waving to crowds of cheering school children from the rear of an open top Land Rover car outside Government House during a Commonwealth visit to Fiji on 2nd February 1963. (Photo by Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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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.

LYNEHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (R), Colonel-in-Chief, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), looks at a Black 1960s ceremonial Land Rover Series 2A Escort Rover formally owned by the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, during a visit the new home of REME to be named "The Prince Philip Barracks" at MOD Lyneham on March 11, 2016 in Lyneham, England.
Prince Philip toured the barracks visiting the technical training building to view the facility and meet soldiers and went on to visit one of the refurbished hangars on the former RAF site.(Photo by Ben Stanshall-WPA Pool/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.