It’s been three years since the Royal Family said their final farewells to Prince Philip
The late Queen’s beloved husband was laid to rest at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on 17 April 2021 following his death eight days earlier at the age of 99.
As a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, restrictions meant that just 30 of his loved ones could attend the service, including the monarch, their four children, and eight grandchildren.
Furthermore, the mourners had to observe social distancing. It meant that the Queen had to sit in the pews by herself as she said goodbye to her husband of 74 years.
That heartbreaking image made headlines around the world, prompting an outpouring of love and support for the grieving royal, ever stoic despite her great personal loss.
Her daughter Princess Anne later spoke about that moment – and made a moving confession. In an interview with CBC, the Princess Royal admitted: “In some ways, I’m glad we didn’t see that moment. And when you see the photograph, it’s much worse somehow. And you saw more of that than we did, [since we were] accompanying the coffin.
Prince Andrew, meanwhile, gave a first glimpse at the Queen’s deep personal sorrow. “The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person. She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we’re there to support her,” he said.
Speaking of his love for his father, Prince Andrew added: “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 so it’s a great loss.
We’ve lost almost the grandfather of the nation. And I feel very sorry and supportive of my mother who’s feeling it probably more than everybody else.
He added: “I know there is a huge amount of support, not just for her (the Queen) but for everybody as we go through this enormous change.”
At the time, the then-Prince Charles released an emotional personal message remembering his father, on behalf of the royal family. “As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously,” the Prince of Wales said.
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.
