As well wishes pour in for the Royal Family following the death of Prince Philip, Princess Anne has released a touching tribute in honor of her late father. Published to the family’s official Instagram page, and accompanied by an old image, she said that although her father’s death was imminent, she was “never really ready” to lose him.
Read the full statement below:
“You know it’s going to happen but you are never really ready. My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate. His ability to treat every person as an individual in their own right with their own skills comes through all the organizations with which he was involved.
I regard it as an honor and a privilege to have been asked to follow in his footsteps and it has been a pleasure to have kept him in touch with their activities. I know how much he meant to them, in the UK, across the Commonwealth and in the wider world.
I would like to emphasize how much the family appreciate the messages and memories of so many people whose lives he also touched. We will miss him but he leaves a legacy which can inspire us all.”
In an additional pre-recorded interview with ITV, Princess Anne believed “life would be completely different” after the family’s loss.
The statement comes after Prince Charles offered a heartfelt speech over the weekend. He thanked the public for their support and reflected on his father’s life.
“My father, the last 70 years has given the most remarkable devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country and also to the whole of the Commonwealth,” the Prince of Wales said. “My family and I miss my father enormously.
“He was a much-loved and appreciated figure and apart from anything else we are so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world who 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 what touching things have been said about him.”
Prince Charles says his “dear Papa was a very special person” who he and his family “miss enormously”, adding they have been “deeply touched” by the reaction to his deathhttps://t.co/kKLAT6rn1c pic.twitter.com/WkKeVUSfDw
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) April 10, 2021
The Duke of Edinburgh passed away peacefully on April 9 at Windsor Castle, age 99. Here, GRAZIA looks back at Prince Philip’s marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Philip’s funeral, which will be a small affair in keeping with COVID-19 restrictions, will take place next Saturday April 17 at 3pm GMT time (12 midnight AEST) at St Georges Chapel Windsor.
