Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will be laid to rest in a family service at Windsor Castle that will be closed to the public.
The funeral arrangements are also influenced, of course, by restrictions on large gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic. With that, even prior to the pandemic, the prince had asked to eschew the customary pomp of a royal funeral. This choice symbolizes Philip's affinity to the monarchy's bygone era, which is slowly but surely being replaced by the celebrity culture espoused by the younger generation.
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Throughout his 74 years as a member of the British royal family, or the "establishment" as he called it, Great Britain saw its share of ups and downs – morphing from a global empire to "just another country" in the European Union, and recently an independent country trying to relive its glory days in the wake of Brexit. One thing never changed – his aversion to the culture of celebrity that spread across Britain in general and the monarchy in particular during his lifetime, a culture that made Princess Diana more popular than the queen herself, led Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, to leave the country, and to the infamous interview in which the couple leveled harsh claims against the establishment.
The older generation's struggle to adapt to change is a significant challenge for the royal family – to stay relevant. A poll conducted in the UK last December found that preserving the royal institution was an intergenerational fight – 84% of those 65 years old and above support the continuation of monarchical rule, while just 42% of those aged 18-24 support it. It's hard to ignore the same generational dividing lines in the Brexit vote in 2016 when older Brits voted en masse to leave the EU and younger Brits voted to stay.
The royal family's fight to maintain its status is symbolic of Britain's own fight to maintain its status as a leader on the global stage, especially following Brexit. From a leading country in the EU, it must now rebuild its network of international alliances. In the Israeli context, this was good for us. Although Prince Philip had a personal connection to Israel – his mother, Princess Alice, who is buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, was honored as a "Righteous Among the Nations" and he visited her grave in 1994 – the British attitude toward Israel was chilly from the end of the British Mandate in Palestine up until a few years ago. This approach was dictated by the British foreign office's pro-Arab faction that prevented, for example, an official royal visit to Israel until Prince William's visit in 2018. The UK's need to calculate a new course and bolster its foreign relations in the post-European era ultimately broke the royal family's boycott and led to a rapprochement with Israel, which has been bolstered under British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In a few years' time, Queen Elizabeth will be succeeded by her son, Prince Charles, or by her grandson, Prince William. This event will be the final stamp on the changing of the old guard in the UK, a process in which Prince Philip's death is a significant part.
In this period of uncertainty for Great Britain, the royal family will have to play a key role and undergo additional changes. We will all be eagerly watching as these plotlines continue to unfold – in the papers and on our screens.
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