The Queen has said that the Duke of Edinburgh’s death will leave “a huge void” in her life and Prince Andrew added that Britain had lost the “grandfather of the nation”.
As the monarch mourned her husband of 73 years behind the walls of Windsor Castle, praying in private, her family joined members of the public at church where the Duke of York said that they were “rallying round” to support her.
The Princess Royal later released a heartfelt statement in which she called Prince Philip, who died on Friday at the age of 99, “my teacher, my supporter and my critic”. Anne, who has stepped into a number of roles formerly held by her father, said that she wanted to emulate his example of a life well lived and service freely given.
Prince Andrew, who attended church in Windsor with his brother and sister-in-law, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, said the Queen was still contemplating her loss.
Andrew, 61, speaking in public for the first time since he stepped down from official duties, said: “The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person. She described his passing as a miracle and she’s contemplating, I think is the way I would put it. She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we’re there to support her.”
Advertisement
During the service, at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the grounds of the Royal Lodge, the countess was heard to tell a fellow member of the congregation that the duke’s death had been “so gentle”.
She said: “It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went.”
While they prayed in public, the Queen remained out of sight at Windsor Castle, where she attended a Sunday service. It is understood not to have been in the castle’s private chapel, where the duke’s coffin remains at rest, draped with his personal standard and adorned with a wreath of flowers.
St George’s Chapel, where the funeral will take place on Saturday, is closed.
The Queen has been receiving regular visits from her children since Philip died at the castle on Friday morning, two months before his 100th birthday.
Advertisement
Andrew said the royal family was grateful for the “absolutely amazing tributes”, adding: “He was a remarkable man. I loved him as a father. He was so calm. If you had a problem, he would think about it. That’s the great thing that I always think about, that he was always somebody you could go to and he would always listen.
“We’ve lost almost the grandfather of the nation. And I feel very sorry and supportive of my mother who’s feeling it probably more than everybody else.”
The Earl of Wessex, 57, said that his father’s death had been a shock, and that his mother was “bearing up”.
The monarchy is observing two weeks of royal mourning. National mourning continues until Saturday.
Members of the public wishing to pay their respects continued to arrive at Buckingham Palace, where many laid flowers despite having been urged to stay away because of the pandemic.
Advertisement
Covid-19 restrictions mean that the funeral — a ceremonial royal funeral, rather than a state funeral — will be a pared-down ceremony at Windsor, with no elements visible to the public. It will, however, be televised. Only 30 people, expected to be close family, will attend.
The Duke of Sussex will see his relatives in person for the first time since leaving the country more than a year ago. He arrived at Heathrow from Los Angeles at about 1.15 pm yesterday, according to The Sun, and was driven away in a black Range Rover by security staff. It is thought that he was taken to Kensington Palace.
The Duchess of Sussex, who is heavily pregnant with their second child, has been advised by her doctor not to travel back to the UK from the couple’s new home in California, a Palace spokesman said.
In line with the duke’s wishes his coffin will be transported from the castle to the chapel in a specially modified Land Rover that he had helped to design.
The Prince of Wales will be joined by senior royalty — but not the Queen — walking behind, followed by Philip’s household. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, are expected to officiate at the service.
Advertisement
At a service of remembrance for Philip at Canterbury Cathedral the archbishop said the duke had had a “remarkable willingness to take the hand he was dealt in life”.
