LONDON – British Princess Anne paid tribute to her father, Prince Philip, when the royal family mourned his death before the funeral this weekend.
“My father was my teacher, my supporter and critic, but mostly it’s his example of a well-lived and free service, as I most wanted to emulate,” said Anne, Queen Elizabeth II and Philip’s only daughter, in a statement released Sunday by Buckingham Palace.
“You know it’s going to happen, but you’re never really ready,” she said of her father’s death on Friday.
Along with Anne’s tribute, the royal family shares a black-and-white photo of the princess and her father laughing during the 2012 London Olympics. It is known that the two had a particularly close relationship.
Anne’s statement was made public when members of the public continued to leave flowers and condolences behind the royal residences in London and Windsor, where Philip died, although both palace and government officials urged people not to come in person to pay their respects. Covid -19 restrictions.
On Monday, The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper, reported that Prince Harry had already returned to the UK. before the funeral, but his spokesman declined to comment. Buckingham Palace did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment on the prince’s arrival.
All eyes will be on Harry and his reunion and interaction with his family, following an interview he and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave to media mogul Oprah Winfrey last month, who made a number of allegations about their lives. brought to light before and. after they were separated from the royal family.
The interview plunged the British monarchy into its biggest crisis in decades, leading to accusations of racism in the royal family.
Harry, one of Philip’s eight grandchildren, and Meghan moved to the United States after retiring from royal duties. Harry plans to attend the funeral, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said at the weekend. Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, was advised by her doctor not to travel, the palace said.
Former British Prime Minister John Major said the funeral and mourning was an ‘ideal opportunity’ to repair rifts between the royal family and Harry.
Harry will have to quarantine on arrival according to the Covid-19 guidelines. Under current UK regulations, travelers arriving from the US must be quarantined for ten days, but they have the option to take a private Covid-19 test after five days of isolation and can terminate their quarantine early if the test is negative. They can also leave their place of self-isolation in limited circumstances, according to the rules, also on compassionate grounds – such as attending a funeral of a close family member.
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Also on Sunday, Anne’s brother, Prince Andrew, Philip’s third and the queen’s four children, said the death of his father left a huge void in the queen’s life.
Philip, who died just a few months after his 100th birthday, has been the queen’s companion and support through more than seven decades of marriage.
“We almost lost the grandfather of the country,” he said.
A ceremonial funeral for Philip will take place at Castle Windsor on Saturday, with no public access due to coronavirus restrictions.
