LONDON – Britain’s royal family shared new photos of Prince Philip, while preparations for his funeral continued on Saturday and Queen Elizabeth II was royal again.
One photo taken by Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, shows how the Duke of Edinburgh is relaxed at home and surrounded by seven great-grandchildren, including the future monarch Prince George.
The queen sits by his side and cradles a young prince Louis in the photo, taken in 2018 at their royal residence in Scotland, the Balmoral Castle.
The image was one of many released on Wednesday official royal social media accounts as the family remembers the private and public life of his patriarch.
Prince Charles’ version shared an older black-and-white image of the father and son posing on horseback with polo mallets in their hands.
On Thursday, the Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, visited a range of flowers and condolence messages left by the public who were moved from outside Buckingham Palace to private gardens in Marlborough House, another royal building, restrictions of Covid-19.
Crowds flocked outside royal residences, including Buckingham Palace in central London and Windsor Castle, about 25 miles (40 km) away, to lay flower arrangements and handwritten notes in the wake of Philip’s death.
Princess Eugenie shared her own memory of her ‘dearest grandfather’ on her personal Instagram page, saying he would be “so touched by all the tributes shared.”
Philip, who was on the side of the Queen during her 69-year reign, died Friday at the age of 99 in Windsor Castle. His funeral, codenamed ‘Operation Forth Bridge’, will be held on Saturday.
Four days after her husband’s death, Queen Elizabeth returned to a royal task earlier this week. The queen hosted a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the retirement of the oldest official of her household.
Her daughter, Princess Anne, 70, was first seen in public on Wednesday, dressed in black and sunglasses, when she arrived at the Royal Yacht Squadron, a sailing club on the Isle of Wight.
“My father was my teacher, my supporter and critic,” Princess Princess Anne said in a statement on Sunday. “But mostly it’s his example of a well-lived and free service, given the fact that I wanted to emulate the most.”
Rehearsals for the scaled-down funeral were underway, with military parades and bands rehearsing for the event.
Attendance will be limited to 30 people due to coronavirus restrictions in England. A ceremonial procession will take place, followed by a service in St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Prince Harry is returning to the UK from his new home in the United States for the occasion.
Earlier this week, he, along with his brother, Prince William, paid tribute to Prince Philip’s hard work, character and sense of humor in separate statements.
Gina Vivinetto on Reuters contributed.