Royal family releases montage of Prince Philip images ahead of his funeral

The British royal family has released a montage of images in memory of Prince Philip, set to a poem by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

"Patriarchs -- An Elegy" remembers Philip as a member of a generation who "fought ingenious wars, finagled triumphs at sea with flaming decoy boats, and side-stepped torpedoes" -- references to his wartime naval service.

Armitage, whose job is to write poems for significant national occasions, salutes those "husbands to duty … Great-grandfathers from birth, in time they became both inner core and outer case in a family heirloom of nesting dolls."

The royal family released a recording of Armitage reading the poem, accompanied by pictures of Prince Philip through the decades, from infancy to old age, ahead of his funeral at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

PRINCE PHILIP HAD ONE IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE FOR THE YOUNGER ROYALS BEFORE HIS DEATH, FILMMAKER SAYS

The Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband of 73 years, died on April 9. He was 99.

In his lifetime, Philip fulfilled more than 20,000 royal engagements to boost Britain's interests at home and abroad. He headed hundreds of charities, founded programs that helped British schoolchildren participate in challenging outdoor adventures and played a prominent part in raising his four children, including Charles, 72, the heir to the throne.

The ceremonial royal funeral is expected to be a low-key send-off to Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in British history. The ceremony, code-named Operation Forth Bridge, was limited to 30 attendees, but the service is one that the Duke of Edinburgh had much participation in planning prior to his passing.

The Queen will be joined by the four children she shared with Prince Philip -- Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward -- as well as Charles's wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Anne's husband Timothy Laurence and Edward's wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

QUEEN ELIZABETH MADE SOME ‘DIFFICULT DECISIONS’ RELATED TO PRINCE PHILIP’S FUNERAL PLANS

Additionally, each of Philip’s eight grandchildren -- who include Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn -- will also attend the funeral.

Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton; Zara Tindall's husband, Mike Tindall; Princess Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Princess Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, will also join their royal spouses at the family event.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Funeral attendees will be required to wear face coverings while inside St. George's Chapel while those who are participating in the funeral procession will not be donning masks until they’ve entered the chapel.

Members of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Royal Air Force and the British Army plan to take part in the funeral procession. Philip’s coffin will be carried to St. George’s Chapel on a specially adapted Land Rover, which he designed himself.

It was previously revealed that Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, 39, will not be in attendance. The Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, was advised by her doctor not to attend. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex settled down in Santa Barbara, California, last year, months after the couple announced their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Harry will not walk alongside his brother Prince William, 38, at the funeral. However, the two will join family members in walking behind their grandfather’s casket with their cousin Peter Philips walking in between the brothers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.