Queen says Prince Philip’s death has ‘left a huge void’
THE Queen has said the death of her husband the Duke of Edinburgh has “left a huge void” in her life.
The Duke of York revealed his mother’s personal feelings after attending a church service where members of the royal family said prayers for Philip as the nation remembered him.
After the service, the Countess of Wessex candidly described the circumstances of her father-in-law’s death as “very peaceful” when she chatted to a member of the congregation, saying it was as if “somebody took him by the hand and off he went”. It came in the wake of her words on Saturday, where a tearful Sophie had said the Queen has been “amazing”.
Prince Andrew also said members of the family have been rallying round to support the Queen as she deals with the death of her partner of 74 years.
He said: “The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person.
“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 we’re there to support her.”
Sophie and Edward, with their daughter by their side, appeared visibly moved as they spoke after the service about the Queen.
The Queen is “thinking of others before herself”, the countess said, and Edward added: “As always. But bearing up, and again it’s just that wave of affection for him and just those lovely stories.
“They mean so much and the tributes have been fantastic. That’s really, really important and we really do appreciate it.”
Their words were echoed by Prince Andrew, who spoke separately from his brother and sister-in-law after the service, saying the family were grateful for all the “absolutely amazing tributes” to his father.
Andrew, who stepped down from royal duties over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
in 2019, said of Philip: “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 monarchy is observing two weeks of royal mourning and the members of the family who attended church were dressed in black, with Andrew and Edward also wearing black ties.
The Queen has been receiving regular visits from her children since Philip died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning, two months before his 100th birthday.
Prince Andrew said his father’s death had brought home how many people have been bereaved during the coronavirus outbreak. He said: “My father said to me on the telephone a few months ago, ‘We are all in the same boat and we must always remember that but, occasionally, we, the family, are asked to stand up and show compassion and leadership’.
“And unfortunately, with my father’s death, it has brought it home to me, not just our loss, but actually the loss that everybody else has felt, for so many people who have died and lost loved ones during the pandemic.”
It is understood the Queen attended a private church service within Windsor Castle.
Philip’s wishes are the driving force behind the funeral plans and on Saturday his coffin will be transported from the castle to the chapel in a specially modified Land Rover he helped to design.
All public elements of the funeral – to take place entirely in the grounds of the castle – have been cancelled, but it will be televised.
The coffin will be covered with the duke’s personal standard, together with his naval cap and sword and a wreath of flowers.
Only 30 people – expected to be his children, grandchildren and other close family – will attend as guests.
All eyes will be on princes William and Harry, who will be together for the first time since the Duke of Sussex left for a new life in America.
As Philip’s coffin is taken on the Land Rover toward St George’s Chapel, the brothers will walk alongside, with their father Prince Charles.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said gathering for the funeral could allow for privacy and, potentially, healing.
He told Times Radio: “I think there might be a bit of consolation in it for the royal family because it gives them a chance to be close and to have a comparative bit of privacy.
“Many a family gather and get over tension and broken relationships at the time of a funeral. Something very profound unites them all again. And that would be true for this family,
I’m sure.”
We, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure we’re there to support her