Prince Philip’s death is Queen II. He left a “big void” in Elizabeth’s life, her son, Prince Andrew, said on Sunday as he paid homage to Princess Anne and her “teacher, supporter and critic”.
As hundreds of philanthropists continue to leave floral tributes at the gates of royal residences in memory of the monarch’s husband, Princess Anne – Philip and the Queen’s only daughter – said that her father “left a legacy that will inspire us all”.
Regarding Prince Philip’s death on Friday at the age of 99, Princess Anne said: “You know it will happen, but you are never really ready.”
In a message released by Buckingham Palace, Princess Anne praised many charities and other organizations, including Prince Philip, praising “the ability to treat each one as an individual”.
“I want to emphasize how much the family values the messages and memories of many people whose lives they have touched,” he said. We will miss it, but it leaves a legacy that will inspire us all.
Prince Andrew, the third of Philip and the Queen’s four children, attended the church in the All Saints Royal Chapel at Windsor Castle with other members of the royal family. Andrew said that his mother “left a huge void in his life”.
“We almost lost the nation’s grandfather,” he said. “And I’m so sorry for my mother, who she probably felt more than anyone, and I supported her.”
His younger brother, Prince Edward, described Prince Philip’s death as “a terrible shock” but said the 94-year-old queen had “kept pace”. Sophie, the wife of the Countess of Wessex, said the monarch “thought of others before him”.
He said Philip’s death, which occurred three weeks after his release after a month of hospitalization at Windsor Castle, was “peaceful”.
“It was true for him and he was very nice. Just like someone took his hand,” said Sophie to the well-wishers. “It was very, very peaceful and that’s all you want for anyone, isn’t it?
Prince Charles, the queen and Philip’s eldest son. paid his own tribute to his “dear Papa” on Saturday, and said he “would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him.”
Both palace and government officials urged people not to come in-person to pay their respects because of coronavirus restrictions on social mixing. But hundreds of people on Sunday brought notes, cards and flowers to the gates of Windsor Castle, located 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of London, while others laid tributes outside Buckingham Palace in the British capital.
Neil Loughton, the founder of the Penny Farthing Club, rode his antique bicycle to the palace gates to pay tribute. “I think that there are some things that are just important and need to be done. Ninety-nine years of life and more than 70 years of service deserves some recognition,” he said.
Prince Philip’s funeral is set to take place on April 17 at Windsor Castle. Only 30 people will be able to attend under the current coronavirus restrictions in England, but the slimmed-down service is scheduled to be broadcast live on television.
Philip’s grandson Prince Harry, who stepped away from royal duties last year and now lives in California, will attend the service along with other members of the royal family, palace officials have said. His wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is pregnant and has been advised by her doctor not to make the journey.
Royal family members said they appreciated the outpouring of tributes and good wishes from people across Britain and around the world to Prince Philip, who was the queen’s consort and support through more than seven decades of marriage.
Prince Edward, 57, said the “extraordinary” tributes meant a lot to the royal family. “It just goes to show, he might have been our father, grandfather, father-in-law, but he meant so much to so many other people,” he said.
Prince Andrew (61), who has largely kept out of the public eye since 2019 amid controversy over his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, also praised the “absolutely amazing tributes.”