Britain mourns Prince Philip but 'no flowers please' due to COVID

A picture of Britain's Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, is seen in the newspapers wrapped around flowers, after he died at the age of 99, in London, Britain, April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain was mourning Prince Philip who died on Friday but people were asked not to gather in crowds or to lay flowers at royal palaces due to distancing guidelines imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband who helped modernise the monarchy and steer the British royal family through repeated crises during seven decades of service, died on Friday at Windsor Castle. He was 99.