Phillip Schofield appeared emotional as he hosted a special episode of This Morning. The presenter returned to screens for the first time on Monday (September 12) since last Thursday, hours before it was announced the Queen had died for a special tribute programme alongside Holly Willoughby.
ITV is among the broadcasters who have made significant changes to its scheduled programming since it was announced Queen Elizabeth II had passed away peacefully at Balmoral, her beloved Scottish Highlands home. In a special memorial programme, shown without adverts as a mark of respect, Phillip and Holly were joined by a number of guests as they discussed the Queen's death and memories of Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
As they opened the ITV daytime show at a later time of 11am, while both wearing black outfits as a sign of respect, Holly first told how she was “really touched” by messages her children wrote to the Queen following her death. The 41-year-old shared how she encouraged her three children with husband Dan Baldwin – Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Chester, seven – to put down their feelings in writing before taking them to Buckingham Palace where they laid flowers and reflected on the nation's loss.
"She was just consistently here for so many of us. So many of us never knew any different so suddenly for her not to be there…" Holly began. "I think that is why on Saturday I wanted to take the children down because I think you are trying to explain it to young people. You are almost trying to understand it yourself.
"I found it quite helpful as, as I was talking to them, it was helping it sink in for myself." Speaking about how she had explained the ideas of service and duty to her youngest, Holly added: "I was trying to explain to him that whatever her passions and her loves (were) from being a little girl, this was where she was destined to go, what she was destined to do.
"All of her own passions had to be put on the backburner for her country. Chester, he loves football but that would not be something he would get to do and it was giving him that level of understanding." Alongside Phillip and co-stars Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, Holly read out her children's letters.
In his letter, Harry described the late monarch as “the greatest queen England has ever seen” before adding: “You have done so well without Philip, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you. I am glad you get to see him again.” Belle, meanwhile, said she hoped the Queen was having “an outstanding time in heaven with Philip and your mother and father" before introducing herself and saying she believed they would be freidns, despite having different favourite bears in Paddington and Winne The Pooh.
Chester, meanwhile, kept his not short and sweet and wrote only: “To your majesty, thank you for being our Queen. Lots of love. Chester." Alison and Dermot were visibly moved and Alison, 47, even asked to keep hold of the copy of the letters Holly had printed on her cue cards.
Phillip also had tears in his eyes during the show. After a clip of King Charles III as he addressed his mother in a short speech last week before sharing details on her final journey from Balmoral to London, via Edinburgh, the cameras returned to the studio. "I've spent the entire weekend thinking: 'Right, you're on on Monday. You don't cry, you pull yourself together," the 60-year-old presenter said as he began to speak to viewers and the show's guests
"Be stoic, that's what we will have to do. Keep calm and carry on,' but those were beautiful words," he added. Camilla Tominey then said: 'He spoke the nation, not just as head of state in that moment, but as a father, a grandfather. I liked that show of emotion, he was clearly having to [compose] himself.
"He was looking down, he paused, but he is a very emotional man and I thought in a moment of such national sorrow, it was absolutely right for him to wear his heart on his sleeve." Vanessa Feltz also added: "It was so astounding [...] there's a feeling that it will be alright, but also feeling: 'Oh my gosh, if we could just give you a hug, or hold your hand, or tell you how well you're doing.'"
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