Prince Edward and his wife Sophie couldn't hide their grief as they sat before the Queen's coffin at her state funeral on Monday. The Earl of Wessex walked behind his beloved mother alongside his brothers, King Charles II and Prince Andrew, and sister, the Princess Royal as it made its way to Westminster Abbey.
Upon arrival, he, and his siblings and nephews Princes William and Harry, were joined by their spouses as they made the long walk through the historic gothic building. Edward walked alongside Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, who saw Queen Elizabeth II as her second mother following the death of her own in 2005.
After they sat for the service in Westminster Abbey, Sophie, who was regarded as Her Majesty's closest daughter-in-law and was even referred to as her 'second daughter' due to their incredibly close bond, was seen wiping away tears with a tissue. Her husband, who is the late monarch's youngest son, used his white gloves to mop up his tears during the moving service.
The royal couple sat a row in front of their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, who were paying their respects to their beloved grandmother after holding vigil alongside their cousins on Saturday as the Queen lied in state at Westminster Hall.
The teenagers were watched on by their visibly distraught mother and father as they solemnly stood around the late monarch's coffin alongside Prince William, Prince Harry, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Zara Tindall, and Peter Phillips. They kept their heads bowed for 15 minutes as members of the public filed past the Queen.
On Monday they were again united in grief as they said a final goodbye to their mother, mother-in-law and granny. The family were among 2,000 mourners who gathered in Westminster Abbey for the service. The emotion of the occasion showed on the faces of the King and Queen Consort as they followed the Queen’s coffin from Westminster Abbey. The Duke of York was seen to bow his head after being visibly tearful in the first procession of the day.
It comes after Sophie and Edward paid a visit to Manchester where they lit a candle in memory of the late monarch at Manchester Cathedral.
They also viewed the floral tributes left in St Ann's Square following the death of the Queen as well as the book of condolence which had been placed for members of the public to sign in Manchester's Central Library.
Notably, during the visit, Sophie, 51, shared a hug with a young royal fan named Josh, who was clutching onto his teddy bear, just before getting in a car to leave. Joshn had already passed a bouquet of flowers to the Countess when she first walked round. The royal couple received warm applause from the crowd as they made there way back to a car to leave, but the Countess saw the youngster holding his arms outstretched and rushed over to say goodbye.
The pair shared a warm embrace, with many royal fans commenting that Sophie 'needed the hug' as much as Josh and speaking to Sky News afterwards, Josh said the heart-warming moment made him feel 'happy' - and he also revealed his love for the Queen's famous handbags and Paddington Bear.
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