Charles pays tribute to his ‘dear papa’

The first in line for the throne spoke out as it emerged that Philip had meticulously planned his funeral.

Sailors from Portsmouth Naval Base fire a 41-gun salute at noon on Saturday in tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. Picture: Getty Images

The Prince of Wales has bade an emotional farewell to his “dear papa” as Buckingham Palace announced a period of national mourning until the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral on Saturday.

In a sign that Charles and his ­father had become reconciled after years of distance, he described on Sunday AEST the duke as a “very special person” and “the most remarkable, devoted” companion to the Queen.

He spoke out as it emerged that Philip had meticulously planned his funeral and tributes poured in from around the world to Britain’s longest-serving royal consort.

Charles, who is expected to deliver the eulogy at the service, at 3pm at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, added: “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.”

The Pope, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and every living American president were among prominent figures across the world who paid tribute to Philip.

The Pope praised his “devotion to his marriage and family”, while Mr Xi sent “deep condolences” to the Queen and her family.

Church bells rang out from Bristol to Liverpool and jockeys at the Grand National wore black armbands. Gun salutes echoed around the UK on Saturday as the armed forces paid solemn tribute to the duke.

The co-ordinated 41-round volleys were fired at a rate of one a minute from noon in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as at naval bases, from warships at sea and in the British territory Gibraltar. Similar salutes — the most according to military protocol — were also held in Canberra and Wellington.

At the Tower of London, a crowd of more than 100 onlookers kept a respectful silence as they watched the Honourable Artillery Company fire shots on the banks of the Thames. Onlooker Heather Utteridge had come to show her respects “for a superhuman”.

“It’s a great loss to not just the Queen but actually to the country. He represented stability for all of our lives,” the 65-year-old said.

The address by Charles marked the moment he stepped up as most senior man in the royal family.

He will assume an even more high-profile role as the Queen’s new right-hand man. Charles said the royal family was “deeply grateful” for the international expressions of sympathy. “It will sustain us in this particular loss, at this particularly sad time.

Prince Charles makes a statement about the death of his father, Prince Philip. Picture: Twitter

“As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously.”

Speaking without notes, he added: “I particularly wanted to say 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.”

A source close to the royal family said: “With the prince and the duke, yes, they disagreed on some topics but in the last 10 years, they both mellowed towards each other.

“Since his hospitalisation, the prince was in almost daily contact with his father, which I know has been a source of great comfort.”

US President Joe Biden described the duke as a “heck of a guy” and said even at 99, he “never slowed down at all, which I admire the devil out of”. His predecessor, Donald Trump, called Philip’s death an “irreplaceable loss for Great Britain and for all who hold dear our civilisation”.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry would attend the funeral but Meghan, 39, who is heavily pregnant, has been advised by her doctor not to fly from the Sussexes’ Californian home.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was to have attended, will stand aside so another member of the royal family can be there in his place.

The funeral will be in accordance with Philip’s wishes but has been pared back as a result of the coronavirus. Guests are expected to wear face masks and will have to maintain social distancing in St George’s Chapel. The service — which will be a “ceremonial royal funeral” similar to the funeral of the Queen Mother in 2002 — will begin with a ­national minute’s silence.

The Queen has also approved a recommendation by Mr Johnson for a week of national mourning. Members of the royal family and their households will observe two weeks of mourning.

A senior royal aide said: “The duke would have been delighted there won’t be as much fuss because of COVID-19. He’d have thought, ‘That’s a coup’.”

A friend of the duke said: “If he was looking down, he’d say, ‘Great, I’ve gone exactly as I wanted’.”

The Sunday Times