PEOPLE throughout Wiltshire today observed a minute’s silence at 3pm in memory of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, whose funeral was held this afternoon.

Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle on Friday April 9, aged 99.

He had close connections to Wiltshire stretching back to 1946 when he served as a Royal Navy Lieutenant at the HMS Royal Arthur Petty Officer training base in Corsham.

The ceremonial royal funeral was broadcast on BBC One television and on BBC national and local radio.

The service took place in St George’s Chapel inside Windsor Castle. It started after a national minute's silence at 3pm.

In Trowbridge, residents of Thirsk Drive in Castle Mead decorated the green outside their homes with English flags and bunting ahead of the Duke’s funeral.

William Sherman, 74, who joined the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh Royal Regiment was one of those who observed the minute’s silence.

“The Duke was a greater character and very sharp-witted,” said Bill, who joined the Regiment at the age of 16.

“I met him twice, once in 1964 after I had joined, and again about five years ago when he unveiled a plinth at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.

“Whenever you had a conversation with him, when he walked away you would always be left laughing. He was an ordinary bloke and absolutely fantastic.

“He showed great commitment to the Queen, to the nation and to all the regiments of which he was Colonel-in-Chief.”

Mr Sherman served in the regiment until the age of 48, including tours of duty in Malta, Cyprus and Northern Ireland.

He joined as a junior, was promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major and was commissioned as a Captain before he retired in 1994 while serving at Netheravon.

Mr Sherman then served as the postmaster in Bradford on Avon for 20 years before finally retiring from work in 2014.

He and his wife Jill now live in Trowbridge and today were flying the 1st Battalion, the Duke of Edinburgh Royal Regimental flag outside their home.

Serving members of the 1st Battalion observed the one minute’s silence at the Wardrobe Museum in Salisbury.

In Corsham, a flag was lowered to half-mast and a peacock stood proudly on a wall near Corsham Court.

The Duke served at the town's HMS Royal Arthur training base for Petty Officers as a Royal Naval Lieutenant after the Second World War.

He frequently played darts and skittles in Corsham's Methuen Arms and attended local dances.

The Duke of Edinburgh's "unwavering loyalty" to the Queen, service to the nation and "courage", was celebrated at his funeral this afternoon.

Prince Philip's association with the Royal Navy and love of the sea were a key focus of the Windsor Castle ceremony but no sermon was delivered in line with his wishes.

More than 730 members of the armed forces took part in the event, but there was a limit of 30 mourners at St George's Chapel, under Covid rules.