Princes William, Harry in emotional tributes to grandfather Philip

Princes William and Harry have issued emotional tributes to their grandfather, a ‘man of service, great humour’ and ‘master of the barbecue’.

Prince Philip (C) and his grandson's Prince William (R) and Prince Harry (L) during the final match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham.

Princes William and Harry issued emotional tributes to their grandfather Prince Philip, whose death aged 99 has thrown the younger men together for the first time since an explosive row engulfed the family.

Harry, back in Britain for the first time since he and his wife Meghan quit royal duties and moved to North America, called Philip a “man of service, honour and great humour”.

“Grandpa, thank you for your service, your dedication to Granny, and for always being yourself,” the Duke of Sussex said.

“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 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.”

Prince Harry also paid tribute to his grandfather’s “unparalleled devotion” and “dedication” to the Queen. “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!’

“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.”

Harry’s elder brother William, who stands next in line to Queen Elizabeth II’s throne after their father Prince Charles, said Philip’s life was “defined by service — to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and queen, and to our family”.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, followed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, at the Queen's 90th birthday on The Mall on June 12, 2016.

“I feel lucky to have not just had his example to guide me, but his enduring presence well into my own adult life — both through good times and the hardest days.”

“I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her,” said Prince William. “I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humour!

“My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation. Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.”

The UK parliament in London returned a day early from its Easter break to pay respects to Philip, who spent 73 years at the side of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and started with a minute’s silence.

"My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation."

A message from The Duke of Cambridge following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh: https://t.co/lVCSPrG7uGpic.twitter.com/atiB8djxPO

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 12, 2021

The devolved legislatures of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also held special sessions, but political campaigning for UK-wide local elections next month was resuming after a pause to mark Philip’s passing.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson — no stranger to gaffes himself — repeated some of the famously abrasive Philip’s best-known faux pas, but insisted the late Duke of Edinburgh was simply trying to “break the ice” in otherwise stilted encounters.

Mr Johnson said Prince Philip had offered “unstinting support” for the Queen, “touched the lives of millions” of youngsters through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, and was a pioneering supporter of environmental causes.

Philip himself would have had little patience for all the eulogies, Mr Johnson said, but “he made this country a better place, and for that he will be remembered with gratitude and fondness for generations to come”.

- Incendiary interview -

Harry hurried back to the UK at the weekend and was undergoing coronavirus quarantine ahead of Saturday’s funeral.

Meghan is heavily pregnant with their second child and has remained in California, where the couple now reside after quitting royal duties and speaking out about their life in the family during an incendiary interview last month to US talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Prince Philip’s death triggered eight days of official mourning, which ends the day after his funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, walk outside Westminster Abbey during the funeral service for Diana in 1997.

Public elements of the ceremony have been eliminated to avoid crowds gathering during the coronavirusm pandemic, while the congregation at the chapel is limited to just 30.

The Prime Minister opted against attending, to free up a place for a member of family.

The funeral service will be televised, and will be keenly watched for signs of strain — or reconciliation — between Harry, 36, and William, 38.

The Sun on Sunday newspaper said the pair would walk behind their grandfather’s coffin in a funeral procession in the castle grounds, as they did as young boys at their mother Diana’s funeral in 1997.

AFP