The new Prince of Wales, King Charles III's eldest son Prince William, has shared a poignant tribute to his grandmother. Taking to social media on Saturday afternoon, the Prince acknowledged that "the world lost an extraordinary leader" when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday but noted he "lost a grandmother" at the same time.
The UK is in a period of national mourning ahead of the late Queen's funeral later this month and many eyes are on the royal family as they navigate the period. Addressing the nation on Friday, King Charles III spoke of his "profound sorrow" at the loss of his mother, sent his love and best wishes to Prince Harry and Meghan as they build a life together overseas and confirmed Prince Harry and Catherine 'Kate' Middleton are now Prince and Princess of Wales.
In his poignant tribute to his grandmother, and the first statement he has issued as Prince of Wales, Prince William wrote: "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 20 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."
Read more: King Charles III's address to the nation: Full transcript of King's first speech
He added: "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."
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