The Earl of Wessex has spoken of the ‘unimaginable void’ left in his life by the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
In a moving statement, Prince Edward also described how much joy it had given him and his wife, the Countess of Wessex, to see their two children enjoy time with their grandparents. He said ”Sophie and I have taken huge pleasure in seeing our James and Louise enjoying the places and activities that their grandparents loved so much. Given that my mama let us spend so much time with her, I think she also rather enjoyed watching those passions blossom. Those times together, those happy memories, have now become massively precious to each and every one of us.”
The Earl’s statement touched on very personal moments as he mentioned how important it had been to be able to spend time privately saying goodbye at Balmoral where The Queen died on September 8th. But he acknowledged that his ‘mama’ never belonged just to his family, noting ”we have grown up learning to share our parents, especially our beloved mama, with the Nation, her Realms and the Commonwealth. While it has been lovely to have spent time saying our own farewell privately at Balmoral, it is now time to allow others to be able to say their farewell.”
He thanked all those who had offered their support during this time of mourning, saying ”We have been overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect to such a very special and unique person who was always there for us. And now, we are there for her, united in grief. Thank you for your support, you have no idea how much it means.”
And he ended by pledging his support for his brother, noting ”May God bless Her Majesty and may her memory be long cherished even as the baton she has carried for these past 70 years now passes to the next generation and to my brother, Charles.”
His statement concluded with the simple words, ”Long Live The King.”
