'My dear Papa was a very special person' - Charles pays tribute to father Prince Philip
The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to his “much-loved and appreciated” father, describing him as a “very special person” who had devoted himself to his family, the UK and the Commonwealth.
Charles spoke warmly of the Duke of Edinburgh, and said his father would be “so deeply touched” by the outpouring of sorrow that had been shown since his death aged 99 on Friday, April 9.
The heir to the throne said the Royal Family is grateful to the public for their support and that it will “sustain” them at this “particularly sad time”.
Speaking from his Gloucestershire home Highgrove, Charles said: “I particularly wanted to say that my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth.
“As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously. He was a much-loved and appreciated figure and apart from anything else, I can imagine, he would be so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world and the Commonwealth, who also, I think, share our loss and our sorrow.
“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that.
“It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time. Thank you.”
Charles travelled to Windsor Castle to comfort the Queen in the hours after Philip died peacefully in his sleep.
During Philip’s last – and longest – hospital stay, Charles had paid a visit to see him at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London in February.
It was also confirmed on Saturday, April 10 that Philip’s funeral will take place on Saturday, April 17 in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.