Queen 'locked herself up' and didn't talk to anyone after Prince Philip's funeral, reveals aide
The Queen mourned the death of her husband Prince Philip by locking herself away and speaking to nobody after the funeral. This sad news was revealed by her closest aide."Her Majesty returned to her private apartment in Windsor Castle, closed her sitting room door and was left alone," said Angela Kelly, a personal assistant and senior dresser to the old monarch.
In her book 'The Other Side of the Coin', which will be published next month and has already been serialized in Hello! magazine on April 18, Angela Kelly talks about the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in great detail. The chapter also reveals how Her Majesty dealt with COVID restrictions and her husband's funeral in April of 2021. Kelly, who has been the Queen's closest aide for almost 30 years, is the first member of royal staff to ever have the monarch's permission to write a book.
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Kelly wrote, "I helped her off with her coat and hat, and no words were spoken. The Queen then walked to her sitting room, closed the door behind her, and she was alone with her own thoughts."
"The Queen's dressers, pages, chefs, housemaids, footmen, and castle attendants all stood at attention as the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin was carefully placed onto the Land Rover that he had specially designed for the day. You could see the expression of sadness on everyone's faces seeing such a great and well-respected man making his last journey," she wrote.
"Their thoughts, I'm sure, were for the Queen, knowing she had lost a husband and a best friend. The nation shared the grief, and their hearts went out to Her Majesty," Kelly added.
She also talks about the respect that the late Duke's pages and valets showed, as they walked behind his coffin: "We all felt their pain as they had worked with him for so long and we had worked alongside them. It was hard to watch our own friends saying goodbye to their amazing boss, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh."
"I'm sure some of the prayers that were offered were by those who had never prayed before. I think those prayers were offered to keep the Queen strong throughout the months to come, when she would be without her husband, "she added.
Kelly also talked about how bravely the 95-year-old monarch had to sit alone at the funeral of the 99-year-old, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, to whom she was married for 73 years. Kelly revealed that the Queen, who wore all black and a face mask for the occasion, appeared sorrowful and deep in thought as she entered St George's Chapel, Windsor. She made her way to the front of the chapel by herself, and a powerful image showed her sitting alone in the vast chapel due to COVID social-distancing rules. And she bowed her head respectfully as Prince Philip's coffin was carried by pallbearers to be placed in front of her pew.