‘Incredibly Stoic’ Queen Elizabeth II Is Feeling ‘A Huge Void’ Since Prince Philip’s Death

Princess Anne, the couple’s second child and only daughter, said in a Sunday statement her father had been her teacher, supporter and critic, but above all, an “example of a life well lived and service freely given,” that she has tried to emulate. 

“You know it’s going to happen, but you’re never really ready,” Anne said of her father’s death, a sentiment echoed by her youngest brother Prince Edward, who spoke to the press after a private church service Sunday at the Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park, on the grounds of the palace where Philip died Friday.

Edward, the Queen and Philip’s youngest son, told reporters “as much as one tries to prepare one’s self, it’s still a dreadful shock, and we’re trying to come to terms with that.”

Edward’s wife, Sophie, described the Duke of Edinburgh's passing as “gentle,” saying, “It was like someone took him by the hand and then he went. Very, very peaceful and that’s all you want for somebody.”

Prince Andrew, the couple’s third child, told reporters at Windsor his mother described feeling “a huge void” in her life since her husband of 74 years died: despite being "an incredibly stoic person," the Queen "is feeling it more than anyone,” Andrew said.

Prince Charles, the oldest child and heir to the throne, said Saturday the Royal Family misses Philip “enormously,” and that he believes his “dear papa” would have been “deeply touched” by all the people around the world who “share our loss and our sorrow.”