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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Susie Beever

The Queen made a poignant final tribute to Philip at her own funeral ceremony

Having reportedly organised much of it herself, it was inevitable that the Queen's state funeral would include a nod to her late husband.

Elizabeth II and Philip enjoyed a marriage which spanned over seven decades, in which time they had four children and went through plenty of milestones together.

After passing away in April last year, many Royal fans suspected the Duke of Edinburgh's life would receive some form of a tribute in the Queen's funeral too.

And a number of people watching yesterday's ceremony spotted the touching tribute in the choice of music.

Shortly before her coffin was lowered into the ground at St George's Chapel in the committal service at Windsor, the choir sung a song which may have sounded familiar to those who watched Philip's funeral last year.

You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here

A hymn sung at Prince Philip's funeral was also played at Queen Elizabeth's committal service at St George's Chapel (via REUTERS)

The lyrics to the moving Russian Kontakion of the Departed sounded through the halls of St George's in the service carried out by the Dean of Windsor.

The hymn, usually sung at funerals held by the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches as bodies are taken for burial, was sung as the final note to Prince Philip's funeral last April.

Its mournful lyrics reflect on human mortality, and how our bodies are "formed from the dust of the earth" where we are returned upon death.

It's thought the hymn was a final nod from the Queen to her late husband (Jonathan Brady/Pool/AFP/Getty)

The anthem would have likely been a nod to Philip's own ancestry when played at the service to commemorate his life - the Prince's father was Prince Andrew of Greece while his mother, Princess Alice of Battenburg, was buried in a Russian Orthodox Convent in Jerusalem.

It isn't traditionally played at Anglican funerals, so is little doubt the song was chosen by the Queen to have at her own funeral to match her late husband's.

Commentators on social media described the hymn as "majestic" and "sung beautifully".

The Queen's coffin being lowered into the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel, Windsor, yesterday (Mirror Online)

Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest alongside Prince Philip in a private service following yesterday's state funeral, which is said to have been watched by more than 4bn people.

A statement released yesterday evening on the Royal Family's official website said: “The Queen was buried together with the Duke of Edinburgh, at The King George VI Memorial Chapel."

The Queen and Prince Philip were married for 73 years (Getty Images Europe)

Also laid to rest at the Chapel are the bodies of her parents King George VI and the Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, as well as the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret.

The Imperial State Crown, which sat atop the Queen's coffin throughout the lying-in-state and her funeral, was also removed before her committal, signifying the end of her reign.

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