Losing a loved one is always an incredible tragedy no matter the circumstances, and for many, it can be a trigger for big lifestyle changes as you adjust and figure out how to live without them. This isn’t any different for Queen Elizabeth II, who recently lost her husband of 74 years, Prince Philip.
Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99 on April 9th.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss,” the Royal Family said in a statement .
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The Royal Family also shared an emotional quote said by The Queen back in 1997.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” they shared .
Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth have been married since 1947.
Phillip was the longest-serving consort in British history, having gained the title in 1952, although he had stopped attending public engagements in 2017 at the age of 96.
The Queen had her own special way of paying tribute to her husband at the funeral.
Viewers of the funeral service observed that Prince Phillip’s coffin was covered in his Personal Standard that represented both his Greek heritage and British titles.
His lord high admiral Naval cap and Royal Navy officer’s sword was also placed on top, in addition to a beautiful arrangement of flowers.
However, a small detail that might have been missed by viewers was a note The Queen attached to the flowers on her husband’s coffin.
While the palace didn’t confirm what had been written in the note, it appeared to have been signed with the nickname Prince Philip had for The Queen, “Lilibet.”
It would have been standard protocol for The Queen to observe an 8 day period of mourning.
During this period, all royal duties and engagement are on pause. The Queen instead resumed working just four days following Prince Philip’s passing.
This apparently wasn’t a surprise to those that know her.
“Her family will step up and be by her side, but she will carry on,” a former senior aide told People , “She understands that she has a job to do, and [Philip] would have wanted her to crack on.”
However, according to some reports, it looks like The Queen may be relaxing her commitment to her royal duties following Philip’s deaht.
“Fundamentally, the queen will fade away gracefully,” former royal correspondent for the BBC Peter Hunt told the New York Times . “Covid has helped in the sense that it has accelerated what any sensible 95-year-old woman would want to do, which is not stand on your feet all day long.”
The Royal Family is involved in more than 2,000 official events a year.
It makes sense that The Queen, having just turned 95 and still grieving the death of her beloved husband, might be looking to cut down on that number! Do you agree? Let us know in the comments!
h/t: The New York Times
