Prince William and Kate Middleton have paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II following her death yesterday. The couple, whose new titles are now the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, posted their respects to William’s grandmother on social media this afternoon.
The full statement reads:
'On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.
'I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.
'My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.
'She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.
'I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.
'I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.
'My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen.
'I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.'
The tribute follows a wave of social media posts from fellow royals, heads of state and celebrities alike paying their respects to the longest reigning British monarch in history. Previously, they had shared a statement from His Majesty The King on Twitter, which read: ‘The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of great sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
‘During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.’
William rushed to his grandmother’s side in Balmoral yesterday, while Kate was spotted picking their three children up from school. The couple will now have more senior roles in the royal family as William becomes heir apparent to the throne. The family are not expected to move to London though with all three children now in school near their Windsor residence, Adelaide Cottage, where they reportedly moved during the Summer in order to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible. They do however still have their Kensington Palace apartment in London should William need to travel to be closer to King Charles, who currently resides in Clarence House, London.