Prince Philip’s Customised Land Rover Explained

Leave it to Prince Philip to go out in style. The late Duke of Edinburgh, who died last week, will be remembered this weekend at a ceremonial funeral in Windsor. Members of his family will walk in a procession, with mourners in their millions sure to tune in on TV, but while many aspects of the ceremony will be traditional, The Duke’s choice of vehicle to carry his coffin is… eclectic: a specially designed Land Rover customised to fit The Duke on the back.

This was, naturally, a choice of the late Prince Philip, who Buckingham Palace states ‘began the project to create a bespoke Land Rover to be used at his funeral 18 years ago. The hearse was built using a Land Rover Defender TD5 130 chassis cab vehicle, which was made at Land Rover’s factory in Solihull in 2003 and subsequently modified. An open top rear section to carry The Duke’s coffin was designed and custom-made to The Duke’s specification.’ The Duke did, after all, have a love for the car brand, and visited Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing sites many times in his life.

‘The Duke of Edinburgh continues to surprise and delight even beyond the grave,’ Tim Pollard – automobile expert and Editorial Director of CAR Magazine and Parkers – tells Grazia, ‘and his idiosyncratic choice of hearse provides the perfect vehicle for his funeral procession. The personalised Land Rover Defender is so him – iconic, tough, British and exceptionally long-lasting.

‘Few people get the chance to design their own hearse, but it’s a mark of the man that he worked for 16 years on turning this one-off Land Rover Defender into his very own, unique coffin-bearing vehicle. Prince Philip had a life-long love affair with Land Rovers and with engineering skills. It seems fitting that he’s making his final journey in a vehicle that marries those two passions so effectively.’ Tim expands on the story in CAR Magazine, here.

Thierry Bolloré, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Executive has also commented on Philip’s choice.

‘We are deeply privileged to have enjoyed a very long and happy association with The Duke of Edinburgh over many decades,’ he said via statement. We are also honoured 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

‘The original colour of the vehicle prior to the modifications was Belize Green but at The Duke’s request it was repainted Dark Bronze Green, which was a colour used for many military Land Rovers,’ the palace statement continues. ‘Further modifications were made to the Land Rover over the years with the final changes being made in 2019. Land Rover has maintained the vehicle since it was built and has prepared it for the funeral in collaboration with the Royal Household.’

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