Princess Anne has said life will be “completely different “without her father Prince Philip who passed away “passed away peacefully” at Windsor Castle on Friday morning.
As the United Kingdom enters eight days of national mourning Anne and his youngest son Prince Edward reflected on the Duke of Edinburgh’s life in a pre-recorded interview intended for broadcast after the duke , who has been married to the Queen for 73 years, passed away.
Anne told ITV News warmly about how her father had given up his distinguished Royal Navy career in 1951 so he could support the Queen, pointing to how it showed “a real understanding of the pressure [she] was going through”.
“Without him life will be completely different.
“But from society’s perspective he was able to keep pace with the kind of technological changes that have such an impact… but above all that it’s not about the technology it’s about the people.”
She said of his position as the longest-serving Prince Consort: “It must have evolved quite dramatically from the early stages. I don’t think the structure in terms of support to the monarchy was designed to deal with a consort.
“Nobody had thought about what he was going to do. And it took a while to find people who understood he had extraordinary experience and skills that they could make use of. But he also found ways he could make an impact.”
The Duke of Edinburgh’s public image portrayed by certain parts of the media was “always an unfair depiction”, his youngest son the Earl of Wessex has also said.
Prince Edward told ITV News his father could “manage” interviews and “could say things the rest of us could only dream we could say”. But people could misinterpret things or “turn it against them”.
Edward said: “The public image that certain parts of the media would portray was always an unfair depiction.
“He used to give them as good as he got and always in a very entertaining way.
“He was brilliant. Always absolutely brilliant.
It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021
His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn
“He had a wonderful sense of humour but of course you can always misinterpret something or turn it against them, so it sounds like it’s not right.
“But anyone who had the privilege to hear him speak said it was his humour which always came through and the twinkle in his eye.”
Philip died peacefully in his sleep on Friday morning at Windsor Castle a few months before his 100th birthday.
Edward also told ITV News that Philip and the Queen had been a “fantastic support” to each other.
He added: “My parents have been such a fantastic support to each other during all those years and all those events and all those tours and events overseas.
“To have someone that you confide in and smile about things that you perhaps could not in public. To be able to share that is immensely important.”
Edward said he will remember his father in a number of ways, and added: “For what he has done in his public life for all the organisations he has supported and influenced and obviously as my father and husband to my mother and all the work that he has done there and as a family we will remember that more than anything else.”
