LONDON – Princes William and Harry paid tribute to their grandfather, Prince Philip, on Monday to remember his wit, sense of duty and barbecue skills.
The brothers issued separate statements amid the family lawsuit that led to Harry’s decision to step down from his royal duties last year, and some had surmised that their grandfather’s funeral could be an opportunity to iron out their rough edges. Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for more than seven decades, passed away last week at the age of 99.
William, second in line to the throne, commemorated Philip’s life of service to the Queen and Britain by remembering his grandfather’s “mischievous sense of humor.”
“My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation,” William, 38, said in a statement posted on Twitter. “Kate and I will continue to do what he would have liked and support the queen for years to come. I will miss my grandfather, but I know that he would want us to continue with the work, ”he added.
Harry, who resigned from royal duties last year and now lives in California, arrived in the UK at the weekend to attend Philip’s funeral, to be held on Saturday at Windsor Castle in west London. His wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is pregnant and her doctor advised her not to make the long journey.
Harry’s statement described Philip as a man who was “authentically himself.”
The Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99.
“He will be remembered as the longest-serving royal consort to a monarch, a decorated military man, a prince and a duke,” said Harry, 36. “But for me, like many who have lost a loved one or grandfather to the pain of the past year, he was my grandfather: master of the barbecue, legend of jokes and cheeky to the end,” he said.
William and his wife also posted a photo of Philip sitting in a carriage with his great-grandson, Prince George, the couple’s eldest son, in which the late Duke of Edinburgh is holding the reins.
Philip’s ceremonial royal funeral at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle will be a low-key service for the COVID-19 pandemic and private. Philip participated in the planning of the funeral, which will focus on the family.
As the funeral preparations continued, the tributes for Philip did not stop. In the House of Commons, which continued its activities early after the Easter recess on the death of the prince, legislators offered their condolences.
Look the photos.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Philip “shaped and protected the monarchy through all the vicissitudes” of the past seven decades.
“He sets an example for all of us to be self-denying and to put others before ourselves,” Johnson said. “He made this country a better place,” he said.
In New Zealand, a state funeral ceremony for Philip is set for April 21 in Wellington to be attended by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other officials. As there are no restrictions on the coronavirus in the country, which slowed the spread of COVID-19, the service will have more attendees than Philip’s funeral in Britain.
New Zealand will also hold a rare parliamentary session on Tuesday to honor Philip.