I felt cold and tingly when Come Dine with Me was interrupted by the news that Prince Philip had died. I know he was 99 and had been ill, but I was shocked.
When he left hospital for home I thought he was on the mend. Now I realise he might have been taken home to die in peace and comfort.
My heart aches for the queen. I imagine she will be lost without her husband. In their 73 years of marriage he has always been by her side.
Unfortunately I know what she’s going through. Losing my husband Colin nine years ago still feels raw and I miss him every hour of every day.
I know the Queen might keep a stiff upper lip but I hope behind the scenes people close to her can give her a big hug because she needs one.
Even if she’s not a hugger, I think when she’s on her own in bed she will cry in to her pillow. That’s what I did.
She will be devastated. She probably has images of her husband through all their years running through her mind like vivid cine films.
I still see my Colin in my mind as a young man opposite me at dance halls. And wasn’t Philip handsome when he was young? Looking at the pictures of him in a pair of shorts on a Greek island I thought he could have been James Bond.
I loved the way the Duke of Edinburgh didn’t mince his words and said it like it was. Yes, sometimes he made mistakes - but haven’t we all?
One of my first thoughts was of Prince Harry and whether he’ll fly home. I hope to God he does. This is a time to put family squabbles aside and to come together in support of each other.
The royal family’s lifestyle may be a million miles from our own. But they still have hearts just like you and I. And those hearts are hurting.
