'He Has, Quite Simply, Been My Strength': Queen Elizabeth Pens Touching Tribute To Prince Philip, Has Been 'Amazing' Following His Death
One day following the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh’s beloved wife, Queen Elizabeth II, penned a touching tribute to her late husband alongside a picture of the royal couple.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” a statement from Her Majesty The Queen read on the The Royal Family’s official Twitter account, posted Saturday, April 10.
Though the Queen is no doubt saddened by the passing of her husband of 73 years, the monarch’s daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex, said she has been “amazing” throughout the entire grieving process.
As OK! previously reported, her son and heir to the throne, Prince Charles, paid his mother a visit at Windsor Castle hours after the death of his father.
With the ongoing global pandemic still in full effect, many members of the royal family paid their respects to the late royal on Friday, April 9, the same day of Philip’s passing, online or via social media.
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- Prince Charles Visited Mother Queen Elizabeth II Hours After Prince Philip's Death
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“In Loving Memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021. Thank you for your service...you will be greatly missed,” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wrote on their Archewell website following the devastating news.
Though Meghan, who is pregnant with her and Harry’s second child, will not attend the services, as she has “been advised by her physician not to travel,” Harry is planning to make the trek overseas to pay his respects to his late grandfather.
The funeral is planned to held at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle at 3 p.m. U.K. time (10 a.m. ET) on Saturday, April 17, and will be broadcast live, palace officials confirmed on Saturday, April 10.
Just hours after the royal's death, funeral plans went into motion. "Operation Forth Bridge" — a.k.a. the plan when Philip passed away — has been in the works for years. According to the College of Arms, Philip will not have a state funeral, and he will not lie in state.
State funerals are usually only granted to ruling sovereigns, but Philip also requested to not partake in the tradition, The Royal Observer reported. Philip's body instead will lie at rest in Windsor Castle before his funeral.
