The Queen has described Prince Philip’s death as leaving “a huge void in her life”, the Duke of York has said.
Prince Andrew said that his mother was relying on support from her family after the loss of her husband of 73 years on Friday. He 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.”
Andrew said of his father’s death that Britain has lost “the grandfather of the nation”.
The prince spoke after attending a church service where members of the royal family said prayers for Prince Philip. He attended the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, accompanied by his brother and sister-in-law, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor for a Sunday service.
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The Duke of York said that the royal family was grateful for the “absolutely amazing tributes”and said: “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 so it’s a great loss. 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 Countess of Wessex said that the Queen is “thinking of others” before herself and was also heard to say to a fellow member of the congregation: “It was right for him. It was so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went. Very, very peaceful and that’s all you want for somebody isn’t it? So, I think it’s so much easier for the person that goes than the people that are left behind.”
Edward added that his mother was “bearing up” and said of the warm wishes that have poured in from around the world: “That wave of affection for him and just those lovely stories. They just mean so much and the tributes have been just fantastic. That’s really, really important and we really do appreciate it.”
Edward added that father’s death had been “a terrible shock” but had revealed how much the duke meant “to so many other people”.
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He said: “I have to say that the extraordinary tribute and the memories that everybody has had and been willing to share has been so fantastic. And it just goes to show, he might have been our father, grandfather, father-in-law, but he meant so much to so many other people.”
The Prince of Wales bade an emotional farewell to his “dear papa” yesterday as Buckingham Palace announced a period of national mourning until the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral on Saturday.
In a sign that Charles and his father had become reconciled after years of distance, he described the duke as a “very special person” and “the most remarkable, devoted” companion to the Queen.
He spoke out as it emerged that Philip had meticulously planned his funeral and tributes poured in from around the world to Britain’s longest-serving royal consort.
Charles, who is expected to deliver the eulogy at the service, at 3pm at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, added: “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.”
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Today, Princess Anne said it was impossible to prepare for her father’s death. “You know it’s going to happen but you are never really ready,” the Princess Royal said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace. “My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate.
“His ability to treat every person as an individual in their own right with their own skills comes through all the organisations with which he was involved.”
She said it was an “honour and a privilege to have been asked to follow in his footsteps” and said: “I would like to emphasise how much the family appreciate the messages and memories of so many people whose lives he also touched. We will miss him but he leaves a legacy which can inspire us all.”
The Pope, the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, and every living American president were among prominent figures across the world who paid tribute to Philip. Pope Francis praised his “devotion to his marriage and family”, while Xi sent “deep condolences” to the Queen and her family.
Prince Philip took “the hand he was dealt in life” and lived in a way that was “prophetic” and inspiring, the Archbishop of Canterbury said this morning.
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He would have “harrumphed” at the suggestion that he was any kind of spiritual leader, Justin Welby said, but praised the prince for following a calling in his role as the Queen’s consort.
Canterbury Cathedral’s usual Sunday morning Eucharist service was adapted to serve as a service of remembrance. Around 120 people, sitting in socially distanced seats, attended in person while around 5,000 watched live online.
Welby, who arrived with a mitre, cassock, crosier and double face mask, said in his sermon: “For his royal highness the Duke of Edinburgh there was a remarkable willingness to take the hand he was dealt in life and straightforwardly to follow its call, to search its meaning, to go out and on as sent, to enquire and think, to trust and to pray.”
Church bells rang out from Bristol to Liverpool and jockeys at the Grand National wore black armbands.
Charles’ address marked the moment the Prince of Wales stepped up as the most senior man in the royal family. He will assume an even more high-profile role as the Queen’s new right-hand man and king in waiting.
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He said the royal family were “deeply grateful” for the international expressions of sympathy. “It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time. As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously.” Speaking without notes he added: “I particularly wanted to say that my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth.”
A source close to the royal family said: “With the prince and the duke, yes, they disagreed on some topics but in the last ten years, they both mellowed towards each other. Since his hospitalisation, the prince was in almost daily contact with his father, which I know has been a source of great comfort.”
President Joe Biden described the duke as a “heck of a guy” and said that, even at 99, he “never slowed down at all, which I admire the devil out of”.
Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, called Philip’s death an “irreplaceable loss for Great Britain and for all who hold dear our civilisation”.
Buckingham Palace said Harry would attend the funeral but Meghan, 39, who is heavily pregnant, has been advised by her doctor not to fly from the Sussexes’ Californian home.
Boris Johnson, who was to have attended, will stand aside so that another member of the royal family can be there in his place.
The funeral will be in accordance with Philip’s wishes but has been pared back as a result of the coronavirus. Guests are expected to wear face masks and will have to maintain social distancing in St George’s Chapel.
The service — which will be a “ceremonial royal funeral” similar to the funeral of the Queen Mother in 2002 — will begin with a national minute’s silence.
The Queen has also approved a recommendation by Johnson for a week of national mourning. Members of the royal family and their households will observe two weeks of mourning.
A senior royal aide said: “The duke would have been delighted there won’t be able to be as much fuss because of Covid. He’d have thought, ‘That’s a coup.’”
A friend of the Queen and the duke’s said: “If he was looking down now, he’d say, ‘Great, I’ve gone exactly as I wanted.’”
