Prince William Grieves The Loss Of His Beloved Grandmother In Heartfelt Statement As The Queen's Funeral Date Is Revealed
Prince William mourned the loss of his grandmother in a tender social media message as the the world prepares to join him in grieving Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral on Monday, September 19.
"On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute," William wrote in a statement released via the official Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter account on Saturday, September 10. "So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign."
“I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful," the statement continued. "I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.”
William shared that the Queen was there for him at the "happiest moments" of his life as well as the "saddest days," and despite knowing there would come a time when she was no longer physically present, "it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."
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"I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me," he added. "And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all."
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"My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love," he continued, nearing the statement's conclusion. "All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be a testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen."
Buckingham Palace announced the Queen's death at on Thursday evening, September 8. Her funeral is set to take place at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, September 19. Following the service, her coffin will be transported to St. George's Chapel.