Prince Harry has paid tribute to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday aged 96.
In a statement on the Archewell website he shares with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Harry wrote: “In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen—and in mourning her loss—we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty. She was globally admired and respected. Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy. Let us echo the words she spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip, words which can bring comfort to all of us now: ‘Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.’”
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings—from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren. I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III.”
“Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your sound advice. Thank you for your infectious smile. We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”
The statement was specifically labelled as being from Prince Harry alone.
Last week, following news of the Queen’s death, Meghan and Harry had changed their Archewell website to a black page inscribed with the words “In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022.”
Last Thursday the couple, who moved to California in 2020, were in London to attend the WellChild Awards, a ceremony for seriously ill children. They understandably pulled out of the event on Thursday lunchtime after Buckingham Palace announced the Queen’s health had rapidly deteriorated. Prince Harry immediately made his way to Balmoral, his grandmother’s castle in the Scottish Highlands, where he joined his father King Charles, his brother Prince William, his uncles Princes Andrew and Edward, and his aunt Princess Anne.
Meghan has reportedly delayed the next episode of her Spotify podcast “Archetypes,” which was scheduled to be released next Tuesday, in honor of the Queen’s death. Page Six also reported she had cancelled a planned appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, Sept. 20. It is thought the Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday, Sept. 19 at the latest.
While relations between Meghan and Harry and the royal family have reportedly been strained, King Charles III emphasized his affection for the couple in his first address to the nation on Friday evening, when he said: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”
As the grandchild of the reigning monarch, Meghan and Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet, have now inherited the titles of Prince and Princess, although there has been no indication yet from the couple whether they plan to use the titles for their children. Since agreeing with the Queen in 2020 that they would “step back” as senior members of the Royal Family and move abroad to pursue commercial ventures, including deals with Netflix and Spotify, Meghan and Harry have agreed not to use their HRH designations (which stand for His or Her Royal Highness) although they continue to use the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
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