Two weeks after the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 at Balmoral, Prince William soberly spoke of his mourning during a trip to Windsor on Thursday September 22.
- Thursday September 22, Prince William and Kate Middleton were in Windsor to thank the staff mobilized at the Saint-Georges chapel for the funeral of Elizabeth II.
- On this occasion, the Prince of Wales spoke of the mourning of his grandmother.
- He said grief sometimes takes him “by surprise”.
The grief is always present. Thursday, September 22, Prince William and Kate Middleton were in Windsormore precisely at the Windsor Guildhall, to thank the staff and volunteers mobilized during the intimate ceremony organized at the chapel of Saint-Georges for the funeral of Elizabeth II, on September 19. During this visit, the Prince of Wales, dressed in black to respect the period of mourning which will end on Monday, spoke of his mourning with emotion.
“It’s the things you don’t expect that move youhe admitted. It is always very heartening to see that so many people are affected. It does a lot of good.” Candid, Prince William admitted to being “very upset” seeing the stuffed animals of Paddington bear placed among the flowers following the announcement of the death of his grandmother. “There are moments that take you by surprise. You are prepared for anything, but some moments surprise you”continued the husband of Kate Middleton.
A true British icon, the bear in the blue coat and red hat has become the symbol of homage to Queen Elizabeth II. At Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s last residence, at Buckingham Palace, at Royal Green Park and at Windsor Castle, hundreds of stuffed animals in her likeness were placed among the flowers, especially by children. At the same time, many drawings representing the queen hand in hand with the brown bear were shared on social networks, and the BBC broadcast the two films Paddington funeral weekend. Remember that last June, on the occasion of her platinum jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II appeared alongside Paddington bear in a humorous and nostalgic video.
“It’s going to take time for the reality of a life without Grandma to seem really real.“
This is not the first time that Prince William has spoken of the pain he has felt since the loss of his grandmother. On September 10, the son of King Charles III spoke in an official press release to pay tribute to the one who guided him during the first four decades of his life. “She was by my side during the happiest times of my life. And she’s been by my side through the saddest dayshad entrusted the prince of Wales. I knew this day would come, but it’s going to take time for the reality of life without Grandma to feel truly real. I thank her for her kindness towards 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 outdated, but still relevant to us all..”
“My grandma said heartbreak is the price to pay for lovehe continued. All the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be a testimony to the love we have had for our extraordinary queen. I will honor his memory by supporting my father, the king, in any way I can.“, he had concluded.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and was buried on Monday September 19 in Westminster Abbey in London. After an official ceremony in the presence of 2,000 guests, including several hundred heads of state and crowned heads, a more intimate funeral was held in the chapel of Saint-Georges de Windsor. Queen Elizabeth II was then buried at the King George VI Memorial, alongside her father, King George VI, her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.