Prince Harry Honors Grandfather Prince Philip With Moving Tribute, Mentions His 'Future Great-Granddaughter'

Apr 13, 2021

The death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on April 9, 2021, has sent the United Kingdom into mourning, especially ardent supporters of the British monarchy. The Queen's husband of over seven decades was a well-loved member of the royal family, but his death at the age of 99 comes after two months of ill health.

Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Feb. 16 on a precautionary basis as he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, the prince underwent surgery for a heart condition. One month later on March 16, Buckingham Palace released a statement that announced the procedure was "successful." However, just less than one month after that, the Duke of Edinburgh would pass away at home with the Queen in Windsor Castle. Members of the family have described his passing as peaceful.

Ever since, members of the royal family have shared their own official statements about Prince Philip and his life, including his children Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward. Prince William, the Duke of Edinburgh's grandson, also shared his own moving statement about his grandfather.

Now his brother Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has released his own personal tribute, which coincides with his arrival in the U.K. from the United States. Prince Harry shared the tribute via his and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation website. In it, Prince Harry talks about his grandfather's service to his country and the Queen, as well as a few touching personal anecdotes about the Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Harry began his statement by recalling his grandfather's legacy and personality:

“My grandfather was a man of service, honour and great humour. He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm—and also because you never knew what he might say next." 

He goes on to discuss Prince Philip's role as the royal consort and his devotion to his wife, the Queen:

"He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end.

"He has been a rock for Her Majesty The Queen with unparalleled devotion, by her side for 73 years of marriage, and while I could go on, I know that right now he would say to all of us, beer in hand, ‘Oh do get on with it!’" 

In his tribute, Prince Harry revealed a fair bit about Prince Philip's personality, mentioning details the public has otherwise not been privy to. These included that he had a charming personality as his next move was often unexpected, that he was a barbecue master, sharp-witted and good at bantering, had a great sense of humor, and that he was cheeky. Considering Prince Philip's often positive disposition, these revelations make sense, but to hear it from his grandson is very meaningful.

His statement ends:

"So, on that note, Grandpa, thank you for your service, your dedication to Granny, and for always being yourself. You will be sorely missed, but always remembered—by the nation and the world. Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts."

Following his tribute, Harry ended his statement with "Per Mare, Per Terram," which is Latin for "by sea, by land" and is the Royal Marines' motto.

Prior to his longer statement, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had released a short statement on their Archewell website, as reported by Mirror:

"IN LOVING MEMORY OF His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE … YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED."

The longer statement was released one day after Prince Harry arrived in the U.K. ahead of his grandfather's funeral, which is set to take place on Saturday, April 17 at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. During his time in the U.K. Harry will be staying at his and Markle's residence in Windsor, Frogmore Cottage. 

The somber event will mark the first time Prince Harry will be back on English soil after stepping down from the duties of a senior royal just a year ago, Metro reports. His wife could not join him as the couple is expecting their second child soon. Due to Markle being heavily pregnant, she has been advised by doctors to not fly during this time. It is understood, however, that she had made every effort to join her husband until her doctors did not give her clearance as per the news outlet.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby, which the couple revealed was a girl during their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey, is thought to be due in June. They didn't share the due date, as is royal tradition, but The Sunday Telegraph reports that Markle is "due to begin maternity leave in around four weeks." 

The couple announced Markle's pregnancy earlier this year via a black-and-white photo taken by their friend Misan Harriman. In it, Harry is sitting on the grass, presumably at their Santa Barbara property, as Markle lays on his lap with her baby bump prominently showing. The two are smiling warmly at each other. The photographer captioned the gorgeous image:

"Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow."

When speaking with Winfrey during their interview, the couple discussed their excitement about having a daughter, who will be born in the U.S., as reported by Mirror:

"To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we've got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs."

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the couple's first child, was born May 6, 2019, just a few months before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit their roles in the royal family and relocated to the United States. 

Then in July 2020, Markle suffered a miscarriage, which she spoke about publically in a powerful and moving opinion piece for the New York Times. 

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