Windsor: Prince William, second in line to the British throne, hailed his “grandpa” Prince Philip for his dutiful service to the crown, but said that the late duke would have wanted members of the royal family to get on with their jobs.
Philip, husband of Britain s Queen Elizabeth who had been at her side throughout her 69-year reign, died at Windsor Castle on Friday, aged 99.
William, known as the Duke of Cambridge, said Philip was an extraordinary man whose life had been defined by service to his country, the queen and the Commonwealth.
“I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job,” William, 38, said in a statement on Monday. “My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation.”
“My grandfather s century of life was defined by service – to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and Queen, and to our family.”
William said he felt lucky to have had Philip s example to guide him and praised his grandfather for showing great kindness to his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
“Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead,” William said.
Philip is lying at rest in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle. Prince Harry, whose explosive interview in March alongside his wife Meghan plunged the royal family into crisis, has arrived back in Britain for Philips funeral.
Harry, William s brother, arrived in London on Sunday from Los Angeles on a British Airways flight, The Sun newspaper reported. Buckingham Palace said Meghan, who is pregnant, will not attend on the advice of her doctor.
Harry, sixth in line to the throne, will quarantine in accordance with coronavirus guidelines so that he can attend the ceremonial funeral at Windsor Castle on Saturday.
Interviewed by Oprah Winfrey last month, Meghan said her pleas for help while she felt suicidal were ignored and that an unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their unborn child s skin might be.
Harry also bemoaned his family’s reaction to their decision to step back from official duties and move to Los Angeles.
In response, Queen Elizabeth said the royals were saddened by the challenging experiences of her grandson and Meghan and promised to privately address revelations about a racist remark about their son.
On Saturday, Philip s coffin will make its final journey to St George s Chapel at Windsor for a small funeral.
Prince Charles and other members of the royal family will take part in a procession on foot behind the coffin, which will be carried by a specially modified Land Rover that Philip helped to design. The queen, 94, will not walk in the procession.
As the coffin reaches St George s Chapel, Britain will observe a minute of silence.
There will be no public processions, and the funeral will be held within the grounds of Windsor Castle and limited to 30 mourners in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions.
A spring snow storm on Monday struck Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth pondered the loss of her husband of 73 years. Her son Prince Andrew said on Sunday the queen was stoical in the face of a loss that she had described as “having left a huge void in her life”. Reuters
