During his hospitalisation, Prince Philip asked Prince Charles to visit him in order to share his final request…to take 'care of the Queen.'
As his life drew to a close, the Duke of Edinburgh was very weak but still lucid. During his hospitalisation at the King Edward VII hospital in London, the Queen's husband asked to see his eldest son, Prince Charles, in order to speak to him a few words that were close to his heart. Charles travelled to his father's bedside on February 20. During a “moving and frank” conversation, the Duke made a final request to his son, to take “care of the Queen” when he was gone, royal expert Robert Jobson reported to the Daily Mail. Furthermore, he also gave some advice to the heir to the crown on how to lead the royal family in the years to come. After all, Charles would become king after Queen Elizabeth's death.
This heart-to-heart conversation sealed the relationship between father and son. After a lifetime of well-publicised disagreements, Princes Philip and Charles have found common ground in recent years, and particularly in recent months. The Prince of Wales had become close to his father and would have been in constant contact with him over the past twelve months. 'They always loved each other, it was never in question. But there was a deeper respect that grew,' a royal source said. The royal family is no stranger to strained family relationships with Charles now facing issues with his own son, Prince Harry.
Advice to the heir to the crown
Following his heart surgery and his long weeks in hospital, Prince Philip was aware that his recovery was unlikely. According to a Palace source, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II expressed the wish to return home. He wanted to 'die in his own bed, at Windsor Castle.'
On Saturday, April 10, Prince Charles broke the silence and spoke to the press to pay tribute to his late father.
'As you can imagine, my family and I will miss my father greatly. My dear papa was a very special person who I think would have been amazed by the reactions and the touching things that were said about him.'
Describing his father as a 'much appreciated figure', he paid tribute to his 'most remarkable dedication to the service of the Queen, his family and this country, but also the Commonwealth.' A sober tribute but full of emotion. Prince Philip will be missed by many, not least his close friend Lady Penny Mountbatten with whom he spent a great deal of time carriage racing. The funeral of Prince Philip took place on Saturday, April 17, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Read more:
⋙ The Crown: Inside Prince Philip’s relationship with Penelope Knatchbull
⋙ This is what King Charles received from Prince Archie and Lilibet on his birthday
⋙ Queen Elizabeth: How is King Charles marking her death anniversary?
