The Prince of Wales has paid personal tribute to his late father, The Duke of Edinburgh, tonight.
In a statement released on behalf of the Royal Family, Prince Charles said: “I particularly wanted to say that my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to The Queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth.
“As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously. He was a much loved and appreciated figure and apart from anything else, I can imagine, he would be so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world and the Commonwealth, who also I think, share our loss and our sorrow.
“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time. Thank you.”
Prince Philip passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday 9 April 2021 with The Queen at his side. He was just shy of his 100th birthday, and had been released from the hospital following a heart procedure in March.
The Royal Family announced that Prince Philip’s funeral, a scaled-back ceremonial royal funeral, will take place at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle next Saturday, 17 April. Only 30 guests will be in attendance, following COVID-19 protocols, though the ceremony will be televised.
The public has been asked not to congregate at royal residences, in accordance with COVID-19 protocols, and have been encouraged instead to donate to charity in lieu of leaving flowers at the palaces. An online book of condolences is also available for people to sign.
Read the Duke of Edinburgh’s obituary here.
