Tears and tributes from a kingdom united in grief
FROM the very young to the very old, they came in their hundreds to lay flowers and pay tribute to Philip.
Despite pleas by officials for the public to stay away because of Covid restrictions, crowds gathered at royal residences across the country yesterday.
Many brought bunches of daffodils, tulips, lilies and roses. Some left cards with poignant messages and poems. Others simply wanted to reflect on the royal’s life and achievements, their heads bowed in thought. Mourners were seen in tears outside both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, where bouquets began piling up from early afternoon. There were similar scenes at Balmoral and Sandringham in Norfolk.
A royal official stationed outside Windsor Castle said the floral tributes which had already been left would be moved inside the grounds where the royal family could look at them. In view of current pandemic restrictions on large gatherings, officials are desperate to prevent crowds from forming on the scale of those seen when Diana, Princess
of Wales died in 1997. Then, tens of thousands of bouquets were left at both Buckingham Palace and her former home, Kensington Palace.
An emotional Sheila Reddicliffe, 78, from Windsor, laid flowers at the castle gates, saying: ‘I’m so upset. It’s very sad he didn’t reach 100. He had such a wonderful life. He’s been an absolute rock for this country.’
Some children left handmade cards with drawings and messages. One, from sevenyear-old Haarys, read: ‘Dear Queen Elizabeth I’m sorry about your husband.’
Tayla Lawrence, Aroosa Hussain and Alayna Ismail, all 20, went on a three-day hike as part of the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award they completed while at Windsor Girls’ School together.
Miss Lawrence said the scheme was ‘inspiring’ and helped her gain ‘map and directions skills’ she otherwise wouldn’t have learnt. The University of Surrey student said the duke’s legacy ‘will live on through the award and all the students that do it’.
British Airways employee 57-year-old Jan McMackin said: ‘We came here when we heard the sad news. We felt that they are quintessentially what Britain is all about, it is about duty and honour, we really wanted to come and pay our respects to both the
Queen and Prince Philip.’ Outside Buckingham Palace, crowds gazed on the floral tributes lined up against the low wall.
Maximilien Roesner, 24, who laid a large bouquet of red roses beside the front gates, said: ‘I’m absolutely saddened. He lived a life dedicated to service to the United Kingdom, and I think he is one the strongest men and a truly inspirational person.’
At Sandringham, well-wishers left flowers at the foot of the wrought iron Norwich Gates. Youngster Skyla Bates, who was accompanied by her grandmother Marlene Overson, 48, from nearby West Lynn, and said: ‘I wanted to put flowers down for the
Queen because she might be crying.’ Julie Hallifax, of Clenchwarton, Norfolk, who took her four children aged four to 11, to lay flowers, said of the duke: ‘He was just a lovely guy. I just remember him as a good old character who made everyone laugh.’
Flowers too were left outside the gates of Balmoral Castle. One bunch was wrapped in brown paper with the words ‘May you rest in peace Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh. Thank you for your legacy’.
The sporting world also paid tribute with a two-minute silence at Aintree racecourse. Premier League footballers will wear black armbands this weekend.