Prince Philip’s funeral to be held at Windsor Castle on Saturday in a family service that will be closed to the public

Buckingham Palace officials say Prince Philip’s funeral will take place on Saturday at Windsor Castle in a family service that will be closed to the public.

The palace said the Duke of Edinburgh took part in planning his funeral and the focus on family was in accordance with his wishes. The 99-year-old duke died on Friday.

Prince Harry, who stepped away from royal duties last year and now lives in California, will attend the service along with other members of the royal family. His wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant, has been advised by her doctor not to attend.

Palace officials said that the ceremony would be conducted strictly in line with government Covid-19 guidelines, which restrict the number of people attending funerals. They declined to say whether the royal family would be required to wear masks.

Military teams across the UK and on ships at sea fired 41-gun salutes on Saturday to mark the death of Prince Philip, honouring the former naval officer and husband of Queen Elizabeth whom they considered one of their own.

Batteries in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast – the capitals of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom – as well as other cities around the UK and the Mediterranean outpost of Gibraltar fired the volleys at one-minute intervals beginning at midday. Ships including the HMS Montrose, a frigate patrolling the Persian Gulf, offered their own salutes.

“The Duke of Edinburgh served among us during the Second World War, and he remained devoted to the Royal Navy and the Armed Forces as a whole,” General Nick Carter, chief of the defence staff, said in a statement. “A life well-lived. His Royal Highness leaves us with a legacy of indomitable spirit, steadfastness and an unshakeable sense of duty.”