The death of the Duke of Edinburgh Philip “left a void” in the life of his wife, Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II, said on Sunday, April 11, the son of the royal couple, Duke of York Andrew after attending a Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Great Windsor Park.
“We have lost the grandfather of the nation. <...> The Queen, as you might guess, is an incredibly tough person. She said leaving life [принца Филипа] left a huge void in her life. However, we, as a family, as close people, will be there to provide her with the support she needs, ”Sky News quotes him.
The youngest son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Earl of Wessex Edward, in turn, said that the royal family was moved by the reaction around the world to the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
“No matter how hard we tried to prepare ourselves for something like this, it was still a terrible shock. We still cannot get used to this very sad fact. However, I have to say that we have received incredible messages from people around the world about how much he meant to them. We appreciate this reaction, ”he said.
A day earlier, it became known that the funeral of Prince Philip will be held on April 17. The funeral will be held on a modest scale due to the coronavirus pandemic, but all the wishes of Prince Philip, voiced during his lifetime, will be taken into account. There will be no public access to the funeral, but those who wish will be able to see the service on television.
The ceremony will be attended by the wife of the deceased Queen Elizabeth II, as well as children and grandchildren. It is expected that Prince Philip’s grandson Prince Harry will come to the farewell ceremony from the United States, his pregnant wife Meghan Markle will refrain from traveling due to medical recommendations.
On Friday, from the moment the death of Elizabeth II’s husband was announced, national mourning began in the country, which will last until the end of the funeral. The royal family will remain in mourning for two weeks. At this time, the relatives of the deceased will wear black mourning bands and fulfill their obligations.
Prince Philip passed away on April 9 at the age of 99. In two months he was supposed to be 100 years old. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been married for over 70 years and have four children.