Sophie, Countess of Wessex, this weekend recounted her father-in-law Prince Philip’s ‘peaceful’ last moments. The Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 in Windsor Castle on Friday.
Sophie, who is married to Queen Elizabeth and Philip’s youngest son, Prince Edward, said the prince’s death was ‘right for him’ and ‘was so gentle’.
“It was just like someone took him by the hand and he went,” the Countess said Sunday in a video captured by ITV. “It was very, very peaceful, and that’s all you want for someone, isn ‘t it?”
‘I think it’s so much easier for the person who leaves than the people who stay behind. We all sit here and look at each other and go ‘it’s awful’, the countess added according to the ITV report. ‘But just look at all the tributes. This is just amazing. ”
Edward also spoke of his father’s death and described it as a “little shock.”
Matthew Lloyd via Getty Images The Duke of Edinburgh (right) and Countess of Wessex await the start of the Epsom Derby on 4 June 2011 in Epsom, England.
“No matter how much you try to prepare yourself for something like that, it’s still a terrible shock,” Edward said, adding, “very, very sad.”
Of the tributes that poured in for the Duke from around the world, the Earl of Wessex said that although Philip, “perhaps was our father, grandfather, father-in-law”, he also “means so much to so many other people.”
Princess Anne and Princess Charles and Andrew also spoke in separate appearances and tributes about their father’s death.
It was the first time the public had heard of Andrew since resigning from public duties following a disastrous BBC “Newsnight” interview in November 2019 about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
WPA Pool via Getty Images Prince Philip smiles during a visit to the headquarters of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force’s 603 Squadron on 4 July 2015 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
“I feel very sorry and support my mother, who I think is probably more than anyone,” the Duke of York said at the weekend. ‘The Queen – as you would expect – is an incredible Stoic. She described her passing as a miracle. ‘
“She described it as a big gap in her life. But our family, those who are close to her, come together to ensure that we are there to support her, ”Andrew added. “And I know that not only for her, but also for everyone, there is a great deal of support as we go through this enormous change.”
Prince William and Prince Harry later announced their own appointments on Monday. The Duke of Cambridge calls his grandfather “an extraordinary man” in his poignant tribute, while the Duke of Sussex refers to the Duke of Edinburgh as “master of barbecue, a legend of jokes and brutal to the end. ‘
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