Tom Bradby and Huw Edwards go head-to-head in battle of the broadcasters

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Tom Bradby and Huw Edwards go head-to-head in battle of the broadcasters: Millions tune in to watch and ITV’s coverage of Prince Philip’s funeral

  •  Mourners have begun to gather at Windsor Castle where the Queen will today say farewell to her Prince Philip
  • For those watching the coverage from home, the BBC launched it’s six hours of funeral coverage at 11am
  • At 12.30pm, Edwards kicked off BBC’s live broadcast of the day with JJ Chalmers and Sophie Raworth
  • Follows week which saw BBC receive nearly 110,000 complaints about amount of coverage of Philip’s death
  • Meanwhile, ITV’s funeral coverage began at 1.15pm fronted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham
  • Prince William recently ended friendship with Bradby because of his concerns he sided with Prince Harry

By Jemma Carr For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

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Millions are tuning in to watch Prince Philip‘s funeral as the BBC‘s Huw Edwards goes head-to-head with ITV’s Tom Bradby for today’s coverage.

Mourners have begun to gather at Windsor Castle where the Queen will today say her final farewell to her ‘strength and stay’ Prince Philip – despite the Government and police urging the public to stay away. 

For those watching the coverage from their homes, the BBC launched it’s six hours of funeral coverage at 11am on BBC One with The Duke: In His Own Words, one of Prince Philip’s last interviews, which was conducted by the Daily Mail’s Robert Hardman. 

At 12.30pm, Edwards kicked off the corporation’s live broadcast of the day – with JJ Chalmers and Sophie Raworth reporting from ‘key locations’.  

It follows a week which saw the BBC receive nearly 110,000 complaints about the amount of coverage it gave to Philip’s death.

Meanwhile, ITV’s funeral coverage began at 1.15pm fronted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham. Prince William recently ended his long-standing friendship with Bradby because of his concerns he sided with Prince Harry.  

At 12.30pm, Huw Edwards kicked off the corporation’s live broadcast of the day – with JJ Chalmers and Sophie Raworth reporting from ‘key locations’

Meanwhile, ITV's funeral coverage began at 1.15pm fronted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham (pictured). Prince William recently ended his long-standing friendship with Bradby because of his concerns he sided with Prince Harry

Meanwhile, ITV’s funeral coverage began at 1.15pm fronted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham (pictured). Prince William recently ended his long-standing friendship with Bradby because of his concerns he sided with Prince Harry

A police officer surveys the wreathes left by European royal families and world governments on the lawn outside St George's Chapel

A police officer surveys the wreathes left by European royal families and world governments on the lawn outside St George’s Chapel

A man raises a bowler hat to the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery as they ride past on the Long Walk

A man raises a bowler hat to the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery as they ride past on the Long Walk

A man raises a bowler hat to the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery as they ride past on the Long Walk

A man raises a bowler hat to the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery as they ride past on the Long Walk

The BBC’s coverage has so far seen Edwards joined by guests who knew The Duke, and Royal experts who share their thoughts on a remarkable life of duty and service.

Sir David Attenborough – a friend of the Duke’s – described the Duke as ‘an extraordinary combination of being formidable and actually being cheerful’.

He added: ‘You knew he was there in an extraordinary way, he had an amazing presence.’

He said the duke performed a ‘balancing act between formality and informality’, adding that he ‘both put you at your ease but also made you aware that you were actually to some degree on parade’. 

The Kings Troop and their artillery arrive for the funeral, with the ceremonial event involved 700 members of the armed forces

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery move along The Long Walk towards the castle ahead of the procession this afternoon as crowds amassed

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery move along The Long Walk towards the castle ahead of the procession this afternoon as crowds amassed

The first glimpse of the altar inside the chapel shows the Duke's insignia, Field Marshal's baton, RAF wings and decorations from Denmark and Greece resting on cushions

The first glimpse of the altar inside the chapel shows the Duke’s insignia, Field Marshal’s baton, RAF wings and decorations from Denmark and Greece resting on cushions

The first mourners have been swept into Windsor Castle as Prince Philip's coffin is moved into position ahead of his funeral this afternoon

The first mourners have been swept into Windsor Castle as Prince Philip’s coffin is moved into position ahead of his funeral this afternoon

Huw Edwards is leading the coverage  from 12.30pm to 4.20pm on BBC One – and a show on BBC Two reflecting on the day’s events from 8.10pm. 

Other planned programming on BBC One will go ahead from 5pm tonight including the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Manchester City, followed by I Can See Your Voice, Casualty and Keeping Faith. 

Sky News will have dedicated live coverage of the funeral from 12.30pm to 5pm from Windsor, with breakfast with Jayne Secker, mid-morning Sarah Hewson, special coverage by Dermot Murnaghan, and Mark Austin from 5pm.

But the BBC’s and ITV’s programming will mean further schedule changes which could again spark complaints  

Meanwhile the BBC revealed it had received a record 109,741 complaints about the amount of coverage it had given to Philip’s death, which is believed to be the record for complaints in British television history.

The BBC cleared its schedules last Friday, the day of the Duke’s death, to simulcast special programmes on BBC One and BBC Two, with episodes of shows such as MasterChef and EastEnders dropped from that day’s TV guide.