Queen to mark first anniversary of Prince Philip’s death ‘privately’

The Duke of Edinburgh died on 9 April 2021

The Queen and Prince Philip in 2011 (Getty)

The Queen is expected to mark the first anniversary of Prince Philip’s death privately.

The anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s death comes just one week after the royal family attended a Service of Thanksgiving for Philip at Westminster Abbey last Tuesday.

The Queen arrived at the service with Prince Andrew, who escorted Her Majesty down the aisle of the Abbey to her seat.

Philip, who was married to the Queen for 73 years, died in his sleep on 9 April last year at Windsor Castle. He was just a few months shy of his 100th birthday.

The Duke’s death was announced by Buckingham Palace just after 12 noon that day, and his funeral was held just over a week later at Windsor on 17 April.

Due to Covid restrictions at the time, only 30 people were allowed to attend Philip’s funeral, and the Queen was forced to sit by herself inside the church.

It is understood that the Queen is currently at Windsor Castle, which is now thought to be her main residence, and will mark the Duke’s death privately.

In her Christmas Day broadcast last year, she poignantly reflected on a year of personal grief, saying there was “one familiar laugh missing” as she acknowledged the death of her husband.

She gave a personal tribute to her “beloved Philip” and remarked how his “mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him”.

During the memorial on 29 March, members of the royal family paid tribute to the late Duke.

The Duke of Cambridge described his grandfather as “the heart of the family”.

“He’s always been a huge presence behind everything we’ve done really. He enjoyed messing around with the children and being a grandfather,” Prince William said.

“All of us are shaped by our experiences. The man you see is not to be sniffed at.”

The Duke of Sussex said Philip was “unapologetically him at all times”. “No matter where he was, no matter who he was speaking to, no matter what he was doing,” he added.

Princess Eugenie said she named her son after her grandfather. “We named August August Philip because grandpa has been such a huge inspiring character in my life.”

Additional reporting by PA.