We can’t imagine the pain the royal family must feel right now.
On Saturday, Prince Charles paid tribute to his father, Prince Philip, who died at Windsor Castle on Friday morning. The heir to the throne began his nearly 90-second speech by noting how the Duke of Edinburgh had “given the most remarkable, devoted service to The Queen, to my family, and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth” over the past 70 years. He added:
“As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously. He was a much loved and appreciated figure and apart from anything else, I can imagine, he would be so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world and in the Commonwealth, who also, I think, share our loss and our sorrow.”
Related: Queen Elizabeth Shares Touching Tribute For Late Husband Prince Philip
The royal then continued:
“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time. Thank you.”
Ch-ch-check out the emotional clip (below):
The Prince of Wales pays tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh on behalf of The Royal Family. pic.twitter.com/tDP0rkKGzc
— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) April 10, 2021
A day before, Princess Anne and Prince Edward also opened up about their late father’s death and legacy in a pre-recorded interview with ITV. According to E! News, the 70-year-old princess spoke of the tragic loss, saying how “life will be completely different” without Philip around.
Anne went on to reflect how her father “found ways in which he could make an impact” as the longest-serving consort. As you may know, he married Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 and stepped away from his military career after serving in WWII.
“I’m absolutely sure that was not an easy decision, but it shows a real understanding of the pressures that the Queen was going through and that the best way he could support her was by giving up on his career.”
She added how he also was impacted and shaped by his time in the Royal Navy and desire to “make do and mend and change and improve.” However, one of Philip’s most member moments in the public eye happened at Princess Diana’s funeral where he walked with Prince Harry and Prince William in the funeral procession. The royal shared a tender moment by patting his younger grandson on the shoulder. In her speech, Anne recalled the moment, saying:
“Memory is a strange thing, isn’t it? But I seem to remember him saying, in fact, it was a question of, ‘If you’ll do it, I’ll do it.’ And that was him as a grandfather saying, ‘If you want me to be there, if that’s what you want to do, if you want me to be there, I will be there.’”
Finally, per E!, Edward shared his reasons as to why his parents’ marriage has lasted for over 73 years.
“My parents have been such a fantastic support to each other during all those years and all those events and all those tours as well and all the events overseas. To have someone that you confide in and smile about some things that you couldn’t perhaps smile about in public is very, very important. To be able to share that with somebody is immensely important.”
The Earl of Wessex continued:
“I’ll remember my father in a number of different ways, both in what he’s done in his public life, for all the organizations that he’s supported and influenced. Obviously, as my father and husband to my mother, all the work that is done there, as a family we’ll probably always remember that more than anything else.”
As for their father-son relationship, the 57-year-old explained:
“I probably remember him as any son, hopefully, remembers their father, as someone who was always there, who was always encouraging, but actually never pushing. So, I’m sure along the way, I’ve probably disappointed him in some ways, but I hope in other ways, surprised him.”
Hours earlier, Buckingham Palace announced plans for Prince Philip’s funeral, which will be held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17. The service will factor in the UK’s coronavirus guidelines and will be “much reduced in scale with no public access,” a palace spokesperson told People. As we reported earlier, Harry has been confirmed to attend the funeral without Meghan Markle.
Even with the change in plans, the royal family will surely lay the prince to rest with respect, honor, and love — much like the siblings have done so far. What did U think of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward’s tribute to their father? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via WENN & WENN/Avalon]
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