The United Kingdom has come to a standstill for the Queen’s Funeral, who died on 8 September at the age of 96 after a record-breaking 70-year reign on the throne.
The funeral is being held at Westminster Abbey and is attended by the new king, Charles III, as well as leaders and dignitaries from around the world. It will also be televised around the world – but someone has been the person to organise what is sure to be a solemn and historic event? He is the Duke of Norfolk.
Who is the Duke of Norfolk?
The Duke of Norfolk is Edward Fitzalan-Howard and he holds the position of Earl Marshal. As the highest ranking duke and most senior peer in Britain, he is responsible for arranging the State Opening of Parliament, but it is also his duty to organise sovereigns’ state funerals and the accession and coronations of new monarchs.
As a result, Edward Fitzalan-Howard – known as Eddie Norfolk to friends – has been given the task of organising Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday, as well as the coronation of King Charles III, which has not yet been given a date. As the role of Earl Marshal is hereditary, his grandfather was responsible for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, as well as the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965 and the investiture of King Charles III as the Prince of Wales in 1969.
Now 65, the Duke inherited the position from his father in 2002 when he was 45 years old and as such, he has been in overall charge of the ceremonial arrangements of the Queen’s funeral for over 20 years.
Speaking to The Times, the Duke revealed that he began plans the week of his father’s own death. At the time Queen was only 76 at the time, and in good health, the annual meetings held in the throne room of Buckingham Palace were only made up of 20 people. But by this year, “it had reached 280,” he said.
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The Duke of Norfolk (right) has been planning the Queen’s funeral for 20 years
Interestingly, the Duke is not paid for his work as Earl Marshal – and says he does not want to be paid for planning the Queen’s Funeral. “I am determined not to charge the state a penny for my work as earl marshal,” he proudly told the publication. He has described the task as “both humbling and daunting. An honour and a great responsibility”.
Is the Duke of Norfolk related to the Queen?
Yes, the current Duke of Norfolk is a descendant of Elizabeth I meaning that he and Queen Elizabeth II share a common ancestor. His family can also claim ties to Edward III and two of Henry VIII’s wives.
Where does the Duke of Norfolk live?
The Duke currently lives at his ancestral home, Arundel Castle in West Sussex, a palatial pile that overlooks the River Arun and dates back to the 11th century. It has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years.
Is the Duke of Norfolk married?
No, the Duke of Norfolk and Georgina Susan Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk, have separated. The couple married in 1987 but announced their split in 2011, and the years since have seen them reside in opposite wings of their family seat. They have five children, now aged between 24 and 33.
Their split was said to be so acrimonious that they missed the royal wedding of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge to avoid being in the same room as one another and to spare the Queen any embarrassment. While they temporarily reconciled in 2016, just before the wedding of their eldest son Henry who will one day take on the prestigious title of 19th Duke of Norfolk, the divorce has been finalised, and the Duke is said to be now in a new relationship.
Has the Duke of Norfolk always held the position of Earl Marshal?
Yes. Since the 16th century, the Earl Marshal has had authority over the kings of arms, heralds and pursuivants at the College of Arms, the body that regulates heraldry – but organising the funerals of monarchs has not always been treated of utmost importance the way it is now.
When Queen Victoria died at the age of 81 in 1901 after a period of ill-health, the Earl Marshal at the time had no plans in place. The complex funeral arrangements – including transporting Victoria’s body from the Isle of Wight and facilitating a two-hour military procession through London involving thousands of people – had to be organised from scratch in ten days. Since then, the funerals of the sovereigns have been planned well in advance.
