Sri Lanka, April 16 -- For 16 years Prince Philip tinkered and toiled on a secret project he knew he would never live to see used - the hearse to carry his own coffin.

Two days before his funeral on Saturday (17), the custom-made Land Rover designed by the Duke was unveiled for the first time.

His work on the bespoke Land Rover Defender TD5 130 chassis cab begun in 2003, the year he turned 82 and was finished aged 98 in 2019

The open-top rear has been modified to fit his coffin and equipped with special rubber grips on silver pins - known as the 'stops' - to keep it secure while it makes the journey through Windsor to St George's Chapel.

A military man to his core, Philip also requested the original Belize Green paintwork was changed ...