Photos of Prince Philip’s hearse have been unveiled as it came to light that the Duke of Edinburgh had the vehicle custom-built for the occasion.
According to the reports, Prince Philip started working on a secret project that he knew he would never see in action all the way back in 2003.
For 16 years, he worked closely with Land Rover to design and build a one-of-a-kind Land Rover Defender TD5 130 tailored according to his wants for the purpose of serving as his hearse after his death.
Ever since the vehicle was brought to life, the hearse has been kept and maintained by Land Rover who has since Philip’s death collaborated with the Royal Household to prepare it for the duke’s funeral.
Implying that Prince Philip enjoyed his little project is the fact that he worked on it for nearly two decades until the custom-made vehicle was finally to his liking in 2019 after he turned 98.
As seen in the photos of the off-road vehicle, the top of the truck bed at the rear has been covered and equipped with special pins designed to hold the duke’s hearse in place during the journey to St George’s Chapel.
As a military man, Prince Philip also requested for the Land Rover to be painted dark bronze green – the color he got used to while serving in the armed forces.
“We are deeply privileged to have enjoyed a very long and happy association with the Duke of Edinburgh over many decades,” Thierry Bollore, the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, expressed in a tribute to the duke.
“We are also honored that the Land Rover which the duke designed will be used at the funeral on Saturday. The duke was a tremendous champion for design, engineering and technology.
“During his visits to our sites he engaged with hundreds of employees and demonstrated his impressive knowledge and deep interest in vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing. The duke was a truly remarkable man and will be greatly missed.”
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Replaced!