People who live in Rutland are being invited to join an online service of remembrance to honour His late Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away on Friday 9 April.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions that remain in place around funerals and commemorations, Rutland is unable to host a large-scale public service of remembrance as it joins The Royal Family in mourning the loss of His Royal Highness Prince Philip.
Instead, Rutland will stream a small COVID-secure service of remembrance live online at 6.00pm on Friday 16 April 2021. The service will be conducted by Reverend Stephen Griffiths and can be watched via the website of the Oakham Team Ministry: oakhamteam.uk or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/oakhamteam. You do not need a Facebook account to watch the service.
Dr Sarah Furness, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, said: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has been a highly respected and hugely influential figure in all our lives. He served our monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with brilliance and steadfastness for more than seven decades. In doing so, he also served our nation and the Commonwealth. With just weeks to go until The Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday, his death comes as both a shock and a great loss. Our condolences remain with Her Majesty The Queen and the whole Royal Family during this period of great sadness. In normal times, Rutland would wish to hold a large public service of commemoration that befits Prince Philip’s contribution to public life and the Monarchy. Regrettably, the ongoing pandemic means this simply is not possible. Instead, I hope that a great many people will join us to pay their respects online.”