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The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral took place with all the pomp and splendour at St George’s Chapel in Windsor this weekend, as the Royal Family laid to rest their beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Despite the fact that crowds were barred from paying their respects in person at Prince Philip’s funeral due to new coronavirus limits, millions watched the coverage on television.

Although it was a beautiful spring day and the first Saturday after pubs and restaurants were allowed to serve customers al fresco since the lockdown was lifted, 13.6 million people tuned in to watch the event.

The funeral was shown on three different television stations. On the BBC, 11 million viewers watched the one-hour service, 2.1 million on ITV, and about 450,000 on Sky.

The numbers are based on BARB’s overnight average for Saturday viewing between 3 and 4 p.m.

The funeral of Prince Philip drew half a million more viewers than the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which drew 13.1 million viewers.

When Harry and Meghan’s blunt interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they accused the Royal Family of systemic racism, broadcast in the UK, it had 12.4 million viewers at its height, which was even fewer than those that witnessed the Duke’s farewell.

Just weeks have passed after the shocking Oprah Winfrey interview, which was reported to have left William ‘incandescent’ with rage.

Despite this, he and Harry seemed relaxed in each other’s company as they moved away from St George’s Chapel back to Windsor Castle.

Prince William met with the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner, while the Royals filed out of the church, while Harry chatted with Kate behind them.

The family then started walking up the hill, eschewing a waiting fleet of Rolls-Royces.

William was initially ahead of his wife and brother, but turned back to chat with Kate.

When William removed his face mask, Harry caught up with his brother and sister-in-law and they walked together for a bit. Kate then took a delicate step back to meet with the Countess of Wessex and her daughter Lady Louise, leaving the brothers together.

As several occasions over the generations have shown, royal events, whether they be funerals, marriages, or tell-all interviews, are still sure to be a ratings success.

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 made TV history by being the first British monarch to have her coronation broadcast. When she succeeded her dad, King George VI, at the age of 25, 27 million people watched the groundbreaking ceremony on television.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, dubbed the “wedding of the century,” was marked with street celebrations throughout the United Kingdom and a television audience of 28.4 million people.

However, the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, which was witnessed by 31 million viewers, holds the record.

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