Prince Philip's death was 'so gentle', says daughter-in-law Sophie: 'It was like someone took him by the hand'
Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Countess of Wessex, described Prince Philip's demise on Friday as "so gentle" and said it was "just like someone took him by the hand and off he went."
The Duke of Edinburgh's daughter-in-law led royal tributes to the late royal after attending a Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor, two days after Philip sadly passed away at age 99, the Daily Mail reported.
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According to the British newspaper, Sophie was accompanied by her husband Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, who said the news of Philip's passing was "a dreadful shock and we're sort of trying to come to terms with that."
The Queen is believed to have said private prayers for her late husband at a Sunday mass in Windsor Castle. The 94-year-old monarch was married to the World War II veteran for 73 years. She was later spotted arriving at Windsor estate after taking her pet dogs out for a stroll.
Anne, the Princess Royal and Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, said in a statement how "you are never really ready" for the loss of a loved one. She described her World War II hero father as "my teacher, my supporter, and my critic." She added: "Mostly it is his example of a life well-lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate."
Prince Philip's ceremonial royal funeral is slated to take place on April 17 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday, adding that a minute's silence will be observed across the nation as the ceremony begins at 3 pm. According to the report, the duke will be carried on a custom-made Land Rover that he helped design with Army engineers after he was hospitalized in February with an infection and a pre-existing heart condition.
Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, the funeral will be attended by just 30 people closest to the late royal and they will be wearing face masks and social distancing. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be attending the service, and those unable to attend will watch it on a live stream instead, per the report.
According to the Daily Mail, Prince Harry was spotted at London Heathrow Airport without his wife Meghan Markle to attend his grandfather's funeral. Returning to the UK for the first time since stepping down as a senior royal, the Duke of Sussex arrived on a British Airways flight from Los Angeles to the west London airport at around 1.15 pm Sunday. He was reportedly wearing chinos, a jacket, and a black face mask.
Sophie reportedly spoke to mourners outside the chapel. "You know it's going to happen but when it happens it's just this massive, massive hole. It was so gentle, it was just like someone took him by the hand and off he went," she said, according to the Daily Mail. "Very, very peaceful and that's all you want with somebody, isn't it? I think it's so much easier for the person that goes than the people left behind, we're all sitting here looking at each other going 'This is awful.'"
The Countess of Wessex said all the tributes to the revered Duke of Edinburgh were "amazing" and also shared a joke about the manicured lawn of the churchyard and her beloved father-in-law. She reportedly pointed to the sky and quipped, "Well we know if [staff] had not done such a great job, there is one person who would have noticed!"