Paying their respects. Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla were nearly moved to tears while taking in the supportive messages left outside St James’s Palace following Prince Philip‘s death.
The Prince of Wales, 72, who was joined by his wife, 73, strolled through the gardens at Marlborough House in London, which have been flooded with flowers and other mementos to honor the life and legacy of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died at 99 on Friday, April 9. Philip’s eldest son dressed sharply in a blue tailored suit and white pocket square, while Camilla opted for an all-black ensemble.
The couple, who marked their 16-year wedding anniversary on Friday, admired the tributes set out for the royal family’s late patriarch, which included handwritten cards, bouquets of flowers, portraits and a toy car. At one point, Charles appeared overcome with emotion as the Duchess of Cornwall stood stoically by his side.
One day after Buckingham Palace confirmed the news of Philip’s passing, Charles issued an emotional statement about his father’s “remarkable” decades of impact.
“As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously,” he told reporters on Saturday, April 10. “He was a much loved and appreciated figure. Apart from anything else … I’m so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world and in the Commonwealth who also share our loss and our sorrow.”
Charles is set to inherit the title of Duke of Edinburgh from his “dear papa,” who wed Queen Elizabeth II in November 1947. While giving his address on Saturday, the future king noted that the royal family was “deeply grateful” for public’s support, which “will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time.”
In the months before Philip’s passing, Charles was “attentive to his father” as they worked to mend their once-strained relationship. “I think, in a way, Prince Philip is proud of his son Prince Charles, in a way that he wasn’t before,” royal author Ingrid Seward told Us Weekly in October 2020. “And he sees that all the things that he taught Prince Charles. … He taught Prince Charles, who in turn taught Prince William, who in turn is teaching Prince George.”
The royal family is set to gather at Windsor Castle on Saturday, April 17, for Philip’s funeral service at St George’s Chapel. Charles will be joined by sons William, 38, and Prince Harry, who traveled from his new home in California to mourn the loss of his beloved grandfather.
“Harry feels guilty for not being there to say goodbye to Prince Philip in person,” a source exclusively revealed on Friday.
The Duke of Sussex, 36, is quarantining at his U.K. residence, Frogmore Cottage, without wife Meghan Markle. The former Suits actress, 39, is currently pregnant with the pair’s second child, a baby girl, and was advised by doctors not to fly overseas. In a lengthy statement honoring Philip’s service to the Commonwealth, Harry included a tribute from Meghan and their 23-month-old son, Archie.
“You will be sorely missed, but always remembered — by the nation and the world,” the former military pilot said of his late relative. “Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts.”
Keep scrolling to see more of Charles and Camilla’s visit to the gardens at Marlborough House.