Sophie, Countess of Wessex joined her husband Prince Edward and her children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, as they bowed their heads in a sombre tribute to Prince Philip.
The wife of Prince Edward wore an ankle-length black dress coat from Suzannah London and sling-back heels to enter the chapel, the demure look was finished with a black fascinator, while she tied her blonde hair back and clutched a bag designed by Sophie Habsburg.
She was joined by her daughter Lady Louise, 17, and son James, Viscount Severn, 13.
Louise, the youngest granddaughter of the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh walked alongside her brother to mourn their grandfather who died in Windsor Castle last week aged 99.
Sophie cut an elegant figure (pictured with her children – Lady Louise and James) and completed her demure look with a black fascinator, while she tied her blonde hair back and clutched a bag designed by Sophie Habsburg
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, (pictured with daughter Lady Louise and son James, Viscount of Severn) bowed their heads during Prince Philip’s funeral at St George’s Chapel on Saturday afternoon
The wife of Prince Edward wore an ankle-length black dress coat from Suzannah London and sling-back heels to enter the chapel alongside her two children Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (all pictured in chapel)
Looking emotional, Sophie lowered her face covering to blow her nose during the intimate ceremony, where she was joined by her husband Prince Edward and their two children Lady Louise, 17, and James, Viscount Severn, 13
Prince Edward, James Viscount Severn, Sophie, Countess Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor bowed their heads today during the service
Prince Edward stand next to James, Viscount Severn, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor today
Appearing emotional during the ceremony, Sophie was joined by her husband Prince Edward, who also walked in the royal procession before the service, and her children Lady Louise and James
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, sat alongside her son James, Viscount Severn, and her daughter Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor during the funeral service in St George’s Chapel
Sophie, Lady Louise and James stand as the procession enters the church. Prince Edward stands next to his brother Prince Andrew
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn arrive at the funeral of Prince Philip today
Sophie, Countess of Wessex arrives for the funeral service of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh inside St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle
Sophie wore an ankle-length black coat and sling-back heels to enter the chapel. The demure look was finished with a black fascinator, while she tied her blonde hair back and clutch a bag
Louise, is 14th in line to the throne and the only daughter of Prince Edward, 57, and Sophie Wessex, 56, she tied her long blonde hair into a pretty plait, and added a black hair band and matching face mask.
Louise, is 14th in line to the throne and the only daughter of Prince Edward, 57, and Sophie Wessex, 56, she tied her long blonde hair into a pretty plait, and added a black hair band and matching face mask.
The siblings attendance at the funeral was their most high-profile engagement to date, although they have been guests at their cousins weddings.
The Queen’s seventh grandchild, Louise lives in Bagshot Park, just a few miles from Windsor Castle, with her parents and younger brother – who is 13th in line to the throne and the youngest of the Queen’s grandchildren.
This morning, Sophie, Louise and James travelled in a car to St George’s Chapel while Prince Edward joined the procession of senior royals walking behind the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin.
Mourners including, front row from left, Kate Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Prince Edward, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Cornwall during the funeral of Prince Philip, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Windsor, England
Lady Louise Windsor, left, and James, Viscount Severn arrive at the Galilee Porch of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
Lady Louise and Sophie Wessex standby as The Queen leaves her car to enter the chapel in Windsor
Louise, James and Sophie were joined by Kate Middleton and Princess Beatrice as they stood outside the chapel today
Princess Beatrice and Kate Middleton join Sophie, Louise and Edward outside the chapel ahead of the funeral today
Father of the Wessex family Prince Edward joined the procession with his siblings and nephews today. He is pictured next to Prince Andrew and behind Prince Charles and Prince Anne
The Countess of Wessex bowed her head as she entered the chapel, earlier this week she paid tribute to her father-in-law saying it was an ‘awful time’
The Queen’s youngest son walked shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother, Prince Andrew, 61, and behind his eldest siblings Prince Charles, 72, and Princess Anne, 70.
Close to their grandparents, The Wessex family are regularly pictured at Windsor Castle with Louise following in her grandfather’s footsteps to become an accomplished equestrian.
Last Friday, the teenager was pictured in the grounds of Windsor Castle taking her grandfather’s ponies carriage driving on the morning of his death.
The guests who will be involved in Prince Philip’s funeral procession (left) and those who will be St George’s Chapel (right)
The minute-by-minute arrangements for Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday have been revealed today and are shown above, starting at 11am and finishing just after 3pm
Lady Louise was taught at a young age, and has inherited a love of carriage driving from her grandfather, Prince Philip.
Following his retirement, Philip had more time to enjoy carriage-driving, which was one of his favourite past-times since the 1970s.
He raced carriages near Norfolk before going on to represent Britain at several world and European championships.
Lady Louise Windsor, 17, is a ‘real asset’ to the family, royal expert says
Lady Louise’s appearance comes as a royal expert said she was an ‘asset to the firm’.
Speaking to FEMAIL, royal author and expert Ingrid Seward explained Lady Louise, the Queen’s youngest granddaughter, has ‘always been an asset’ to the royal family.
On Sunday Lady Louise joined her parents and uncle Prince Andrew for a service at Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor, before thanking estate workers for their support and hard work.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral will be one of the most high profile events attended by the young royals, although they were invited to the weddings of their cousins, Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie, while Louise served as a bridesmaid at Prince William’s wedding when she was just seven.
‘She has always been an asset to the family and very polite which the Queen loves,’ Ingrid said.
Lady Louise Windsor, 17, was the picture of understated poise today as she joined her parents to look at flowers laid by wellwishers for her grandfather outside the ground of Windsor Castle.
The daughter of Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward sported dark clothes for the appearance a day ahead of the funeral of Prince Philip.
Wearing a black knee-length skirt, single-breasted collared jacket and tights, the teenager tied her hair back and stood next to her father as she read tributes to The Duke of Edinburgh.
‘Remember how she helped the bridesmaids on the steps of St. George’s Chapel as they went inside at Princess Eugenie’s wedding and her skirt blew up in the wind in front of the TV cameras? She handled it very deftly.’
She added on Lady Louise’s bond with the Duke of Edinburgh: ‘Prince Philip took pleasure in watching Louise compete at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
‘I don’t think he taught her himself but he would have made sure she had some top-class tuition from one of his grooms and of course the availability of ponies and carriages to drive.’
Lady Louise, 17, joined her mother The Countess of Wessex at Winsdor Castle yesterday to pay tribute to her grandfather
Sophie and Louise wore dark colours to look at the flowers this morning, they are pictured outside Windsor Castle
Meanwhile 13-year-old James has been trusted to join his parents and sister at public events despite his young age.
Last week, Sophie led royal tributes to Prince Philip as she movingly described his death on Friday as ‘so gentle’ and said how his passing was ‘just like someone took him by the hand and off he went’.
Sophie was speaking to mourners outside the chapel at a Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s teenage grandchildren Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, will be the youngest mourners at tomorrow’s funeral. On Sunday Lady Louise joined her parents and uncle Prince Andrew for a service at Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor, before thanking estate workers for their support and hard work. Pictured, at the event
The Earl of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor and the Countess of Wessex view flowers outside St George’s Chapel today
She said: ‘You know it’s going to happen but when it happens it’s just this massive, massive hole. It was so gentle, it was just like someone took him by the hand and off he went.
‘Very, very peaceful and that’s all you want with somebody isn’t it? I think it’s so much easier for the person that goes than the people left behind, we’re all sitting here looking at each other going ‘This is awful’.’
The countess also called all the tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh ‘amazing’ and even shared a joke about the manicured lawn of the church yard. Pointing to the sky, Sophie remarked: ‘Well we know if [staff] had not done such a great job, there is one person who would have noticed!’
Sophie and her daughter Lady Louise Windsor were also seen walking down the High Street in Windsor in jeans and flat shoes
Edward, the Queen and Philip’s youngest son, emotionally revealed: ‘However one tries to prepare oneself for something like this, it’s still a dreadful shock and we’re sort of trying to come to terms with that.
‘It’s very, very, sad, but I have to say, the extraordinary tributes and the memories that everybody’s had and been willing to share has been so fantastic and it just goes to show, he might have been our father, grandfather, father-in-law, but he meant so much to so many other people.
‘And just being here this morning with everybody from Windsor Great Park and he was a ranger here for, I think, more years than any other ranger and he means so much to so many people here and it’s the same for those who lived and worked at Balmoral and Sandringham.
The bouquets are picked up from the gates of Windsor each day and moved into the grounds of the castle
A sea of flowers outside St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, where Philip will be laid to rest tomorrow
The Duke of Edinburgh with a young Lady Louise, Princess Eugenie and Sophie Wessex in 2012
James is pictured centre between his grandparents and in front of his cousin Prince Harry in 2015. Lady Louise is pictured far right in front of her cousins Beatrice and Eugenie
‘For all those past and present, he means a huge huge amount to them… they all have their own personal memories and stories and our hearts go out to all of them as well.’
Sophie added: ‘He always exchanged words with everybody because it didn’t matter what anybody was doing in and around the estate, here and everywhere else, they all meant a lot to him and he always took a very personal interest in everything that they were doing. So they’ve all got stories to tell and most of them are quite funny as well’.
Separately, Edward added that his mother was ‘bearing up’ and the royal family appreciated ‘the wave of affection’ for the Duke of Edinburgh from the public since his death was announced on Friday.
Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, walks down the High Street in Windsor yesterday afternoon
The earl said: ‘That wave of affection for him and just those lovely stories. They just mean so much and the tributes have been just fantastic. That’s really, really important and we really do appreciate it.’
Referring to the warm wishes that have poured in from around the world, Sophie said it had been ‘so lovely for so many people to learn about what he did’. She added: ‘I just think quite a lot of things that have come out will have surprised some people and how intrinsic he was to every element of society, if you look at it.’
The couple recalled some of the scrapes Philip got into while carriage driving around the Windsor estate. Smiling, Sophie said Philip had been ‘pulled out of a few ditches here I seem to remember as well’.
Sophie, while looking over handwritten letters from children, could be heard saying ‘how sweet’, before speaking to her husband about the amount of flowers
Sophie and Lady Louise read the messages together as they walked looked at the floral tributes for around 15 minutes
The Earl of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor and the Countess of Wessex view flowers outside St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle