Duke of Edinburgh’s beloved ponies to play key role in funeral as Royals share Philip’s love of carriage racing
PRINCE Philip's beloved black Fell ponies Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm will be part of his funeral.
They will be stood in front of his polished dark green four-wheeled carriage as his coffin makes its way to St George's Chapel.
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The two ponies, who were both born in 2008, will be accompanied by two of Philip's grooms as the procession begins.
Balmoral Nevis was bred by the Queen.
It comes as...
- Prince Harry and William won't stand near each other at Philip's funeral on Saturday
- The full guest list of 30 attendees was revealed
- The Queen will sit alone after arriving in a Bentley with a Lady in Waiting
- The pall bearers at Prince Philip's funeral will be members of the Royal Marines
- Pregnant Meghan Markle will make 'private arrangements' to mark the funeral
- A band of military personnel will walk in front of Prince Philip's coffin
His aluminium and steel carriage was designed by the Duke eight years ago for riding around Windsor and other royal estates.
It can seat four people at maximum capacity and can harness up to eight horses.
It has two padded black leather seats and a clock mounted on brass at the front, which features an inscription commemorating the gift of the timepiece.
The clock was presented to Prince Philip by the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in October 1978 to mark his 25 years as their Colonel-in-Chief.
The Duke was an expert carriage driver and represented Great Britain in three European Championships and six World Championships.
He turned to the sport after giving up polo at the age of 50 in 1971 due to what he called his "dodgy" arthritic wrist.
In a book the Duke wrote: "I am getting old, my reactions are getting slower, and my memory is unreliable, but I have never lost the sheer pleasure of driving a team through the British countryside."
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By far his most famous convert was Lady Penny Romsey, now the Countess of Mountbatten of Burma, whom he coached.
The countess - who was one of the duke's closest friends - has been given the honour of being one of the 30 guests at his funeral.
He also taught his daughter-in-law, the Countess of Wessex, and his granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor, 17, has taken up the sport.
