Queen Elizabeth II will bid a final farewell to Prince Philip, her husband of more than seven decades, at a ceremonial funeral on Saturday, with the nation set to fall silent to mark the passing of a pivotal figure in the British monarchy.

While the ceremony will include some of the traditional grandeur of a significant royal event, there will be just 30 mourners inside Saint George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the funeral service because of COVID-19 restrictions.

There will be no public procession, all the congregation will wear masks, and the queen, who says the death has left a "huge void," will sit alone.