Prince William Breaks His Silence on Grandather Prince Philip’s Death

Three days after Prince Philip died “peacefully” at the age of 99, Prince William is remembering his “extraordinary” grandfather. On Monday, the Duke of Cambridge, who is second in line to the throne, broke his silence on his grandfather’s passing, reflecting on his incredible “century of life” and saying that he will “will miss my Grandpa.”

In a statement released by Kensington Palace alongside an adorable image of William and wife Kate Middleton’s oldest child, Prince George, riding in a carriage with his great-grandfather, William said his grandfather’s life “was defined by service – to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and Queen, and to our family.” William went on to share that he feels “lucky” to not only have had his grandfather’s “example to guide” him, but also to have had his “enduring presence well into my own adult life – both through good times and the hardest days.” He went on to express gratitude for his wife having “had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her.”

“I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humour!” the statement continued. “My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation. Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.”

The Duke of Edinburgh died “peacefully” at Windsor Castle on Friday, April 9 at the age of 99, according to a statement from his wife, Queen Elizabeth. While the Monday message marks the first time William has publicly spoken on his grandfather’s passing, he and his wife paid tribute in a subtle way immediately following Philip’s death, changing the profile images on all of their social media accounts from a smiling image of their family to a simple image of their monogram. They also shared the Buckingham Palace announcement confirming Philip’s death. William and Kate are set to attend Philip’s funeral on Saturday at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Limited to just 30 people due to the coronavirus pandemic, the couple’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – are not expected to attend.