PRINCE William today said the Queen was by his side during his "saddest moments" as paid tribute to his "grannie".
The royal, who was last night appointed Prince of Wales, shared the moving statement on his official Instagram today.
He said: "On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute.
"So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.
"I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.
"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."
He also praised the Queen for the 20 years of "guidance and support" she has given his wife Kate Middleton.
And he revealed how children George, nine, Louis, four, and seven-year-old Charlotte, have created memories that will last "their whole lives" thanks to holiday spent with the Queen.
William added: "I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.
"My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen.
"I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can."
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Kate remained in Windsor with the children as husband Prince William joined his family in Balmoral on Thursday.
He made an urgent dash to say goodbye to the Queen after her health failed but sadly didn't make it in time.
The Prince of Wales returned home to Windsor yesterday to join Kate and the children.
He today watched as his dad was formally declared King Charles III at an historic Accession ceremony.
It was the first time he has been seen in public since his grandmother's death.
Prince William and Prince Harry had gifted King Charles the inkpot he used to sign the declaration.
It comes after the couple were last night awarded the titles Prince and Princess of Wales.
King Charles made the declaration in his first address to the nation.
He said: “Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.”
The name change means not only is William following in his father’s footsteps, but Kate is the first person to use the title Princess of Wales since Diana.
Following the announcement, a source said Kate “appreciates the history associated with this role” but wants to “create her own path".
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