‘No fuss’ funeral was perfect for Philip, says Tindall

The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral was perfectly judged to honour the memory of a man who believed in “no fuss”, said Mike Tindall.

The former England rugby player, who is married to the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall, said his admiration for the monarch has increased after she sat on her own in St George’s Chapel, leading “by example” in a world where social distancing is now the norm.

Tindall’s comments came after it was confirmed the Duke of Sussex has returned home to California after joining the small group of mourners at Philip’s funeral on Saturday.

“No fuss, get on with it.

“My love for the Queen was even better, she was sat there completely on her own. Separated herself in terms of, ‘this is what the world is right now, and I’m going to lead by example’ and she’s amazing, literally amazing.”

During the funeral there were simple touches that reflected Philip – his carriage, used for racing around courses, was parked so it was passed by the funeral procession.

On his seat were the duke’s cap, whip and brown gloves and nearby a red pot containing sugar lumps the duke would give to his ponies.

During the service, a mournful lament was played by a Pipe Major from the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Last Post was sounded by buglers from the Royal Marines.

Tindall said these elements of the day were “eerie moments for the family” and “there were a lot of things that brought home memories”.

He added: “It was a sad day but, you know, I think it was very well run and he was very well looked after and hopefully he’s looking down now and is happy with the day.”