We heard more from The Duke of Edinburgh’s children today, as they attended a service at The Royal Chapel of All Saints, near to Windsor, after his death. The Countess of Wessex described his passing as ‘gentle’.
The Duke of York joined The Earl and Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise as they spoke to Windsor Estate staff to thank them for their support following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.
The outing follows The Prince of Wales’ statement on behalf of the family, where he paid tribute to the seven decades the Duke spent at The Queen’s side and his work to the Commonwealth.
Prince Edward and Sophie, The Earl Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor attend a church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, following the death of Prince Philip
The Earl of Wessex also paid tribute to Prince Philip saying: “It’s been a bit of a bit of a shock. However much one tries to prepare oneself for something like this, it’s still a dreadful shock.
“And we’re sort of trying to come to terms of that. And it’s very, very sad. But I have to say that the extraordinary tributes and the memories that everybody has had and been willing to share has been so fantastic.
“And 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. And just being here this morning with everybody from Windsor Great Park, and he was a ranger here for a few more years than I think any other Ranger.
After attending morning service at The Royal Chapel of All Saints, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Lady Louise met Windsor Estate workers to thank them for their support, particularly over the last few days. pic.twitter.com/uSUVQN2Jbo
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 11, 2021
“And, you know, it means so much to so many people here. And it’s the same for those who lived and worked at Balmoral and Sandringham. For all those past and present, it means a huge, huge amount, very personal. They all have their own personal memories and stories and our hearts go out to them as well.”
As the Countess left to attend the service, she commented how The Queen is ‘thinking of others before herself’. She also shared details of Prince Philip’s final moments saying: “It was right for him, and it was so gentle. It was like someone took him by the hand and then he went. Very, very peaceful and that’s all you want for somebody, isn’t it?”
Yesterday, The Countess of Wessex was seen to be tearful as she and Edward visited The Queen at Windsor Castle, commenting Her Majesty had been ‘amazing’.
The couple were driving away as the military paid tribute to the Prince Consort with gun salutes across the UK and on warships.
Speaking out the window to a Sky reporter, she said ‘The Queen has been amazing’.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Windsor Castle today, following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.
Sophie was visibly teary, with the couple thanking people for condolences through rolled-down windows.
The Countess commented: "The Queen has been amazing."
Via ITN pic.twitter.com/BPykvwscwV
— The Crown Chronicles (@crownchronicles) April 10, 2021
Once Prince Charles is King, the title of Duke of Edinburgh will be recreated for The Earl of Wessex, for him to carry on the work of the Duke’s eponymous award. Prince Charles has inherited his father’s titles, which will revert to the crown when he succeeds.
Speaking to Sky News, Prince Andrew said: “It’s a total loss. My father said to me on the telephone a few months ago that we are all in the same boat and we must always remember that.”
“My father’s death has bought home to me not just our loss, but actually of the loss everybody else has felt for the people who have lost loved ones during the pandemic.
“So we are all in the same boat… we are all feeling a great sense of loss. At the same time the tributes have been absolutely amazing. The messages I am getting are absolutely outstanding. I just want to say how grateful we are for these tributes.”
Speaking about his 99-year old father, Andrew said: “He was a remarkable man. I loved him as a father, he was so calm. If you had a problem, he would think about it. He was always somebody you could go to and he would always listen.
“We have lost the grandfather of the nation. I feel very sorry and supportive of my mother who is feeling it probably more than everybody else.
“It’s a great loss. I think the way I would put it is we’ve lost almost the grandfather of the nation”
Prince Andrew pays tribute to his father the Duke of Edinburgh following his death.
Read more here: https://t.co/zv6NRoO98E pic.twitter.com/vd7wGksfes
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 11, 2021
The Duke of York also had warms words about his mother: “The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person. She described his passing as a miracle, and she is contemplating. That’s the way I would put it. She described it as leaving a huge void in her life. The family are rallying around to make sure we are there to support her.
“I know that there is a huge amount of support, not just for her, but for everybody as we go through this enormous change.”
The funeral for The Duke of Edinburgh has been confirmed for 17th April at 3pm and will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor with just 30 people able to be in attendance.
