Prince Harry

Prince Harry Pays Tribute to Late ‘Granny' in 1st Statement: ‘I Am Forever Grateful'

The personal statement, posted Monday on Harry and his wife Meghan’s Archwell website, said he cherished their times together and thanked her for her service, her advice and her "infectious" smile

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In a first official statement since the queen’s death, her grandson Prince Harry has hailed her as a “guiding compass” and praised her “unwavering grace and dignity."

The personal statement, posted Monday on Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's Archwell website, said he cherished their times together and thanked her for her service, her advice and her "infectious" smile. 

"In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen—and in mourning her loss—we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty," Harry's message began. "She was globally admired and respected. Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy. Let us echo the words she spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip, words which can bring comfort to all of us now: 'Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.'"

He continued, "Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings—from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren," Harry, referencing Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet—who is named after the monarch—continued. "I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III."

Harry quit as a senior royal and moved to the U.S. two years ago. On Saturday, he and Meghan joined his brother Prince William and his wife Catherine in meeting mourners outside Windsor Castle.

Their “walkabout," the first time the brothers have appeared amicably together in public since March 2020, comes at a time when the younger generation of Britain's royal family must step up their responsibilities significantly.

While William and Harry had been on frosty terms over the last two years, their show of unity Saturday was reportedly initiated by William and left some observers hoping that Harry, 37, might return to the fray and support his elder brother in sharing the heavy workload now on William’s shoulders.

Prince Louis was said to have shared some moving words following the death of his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth on Thursday. On Saturday, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle interacted with hundreds of supporters of all ages who'd gathered outside Windsor Castle to mourn the loss of the Queen and pay their respects. The Sunday Times reports that one supporter named Banita Ranow heard the Kate telling the children next to her, "Louis said, 'At least Grannie is with Great Grandpa now.'"
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