The Queen has said goodbye to her partner of 73 years, Prince Philip, in a small service at Windsor.
And, as the pair’s love story was defined by letters, it’s only fitting that her final send off to Philip was through one last love note.
WATCH: Prince William and Prince Harry have one-on-one conversation at Prince Philip’s funeral
Prince Philip’s funeral was a small affair, with only 30 guests, due to COVID restrictions in the UK.
Among attendees were, of course, the Duke of Edinburgh’s children and grandchildren and a selection of his nearest and dearest family and friends.
Many tears were shed as the mourners said goodbye to the 99-year-old, but perhaps the most moving images to come out of the service were that of The Queen as she sat alone in a church pew to say her final goodbyes.
During the funeral, Prince Philip’s casket was followed into the service by a number of select royals, including Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry; it was draped with a Greek flag to represent the Duke’s heritage, and it also had one other addition from Her Majesty herself – a handwritten letter.
While the handwriting is hard to decipher, royal observers are speculating the note says “Your Loving Lilibet”. Lilibet is a nickname the Queen was given when she was young as she couldn’t pronounce her own name. The contents of the letter are private, but the photos seem to reveal that the note says “I love you.”
Philip was known to use the nickname “Lilibet’ for his wife quite often. Back in 1947, during his and the Queen’s honeymoon, Philip penned his own letter to the Queen mother, writing “Lilibet is the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me”.
It is fitting the Queen sends her great love off with one final letter, considering that is how their love story began.
While a young Philip served in the war, he and the Queen exchanged letters back and forth, meeting at Windsor Castle when the Duke was on leave.
The letter on the casket shares a striking resemblance to the heartbreaking letter a 12-year-old Prince Harry left on his own mum’s (Princess Diana) coffin, which read “mummy”.
The Queen appeared as stoic as ever throughout the touching service to her late husband.
The monarch donned a black coat dress and a black matching face mask, which was hemmed with a white trimming. She also wore a black matching hat, and pearl drop earrings.
Black is the traditional colour of mourning for royals. While the Queen is usually one to dress in a bright ensemble, her black outfit was a reflection of her grief for the great love of her life.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
