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Queen Elizabeth II was spotted outside of Windsor Castle on Friday, April 16, for the first time since her husband Prince Philip’s death last week.
Her Majesty, 94, was seen driving from the castle to Frogmore Gardens one week after the Duke of Edinburgh died at 99. The queen, who was married to Philip for 73 years before his passing, was photographed in a vehicle before arriving at Frogmore to walk her beloved corgis.
Buckingham Palace announced the former naval cadet’s death on April 9. “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” the family’s statement read. “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course.”
A source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time that Elizabeth is “heartbroken” over the loss of her husband. “Prince Philip had been in poor health recently, but the loss was still a surprise,” the insider added, referring to Philip’s 28-day hospital stay one month prior.
The queen shared a loving message about the Greece-born prince the next day alongside a portrait of Philip sitting beside her via the royal family’s Instagram account.
“At The Queen’s Coronation in 1953, The Duke of Edinburgh swore to be Her Majesty’s ‘liege man of life and limb,’” the caption read. “The Duke was a devoted consort (companion to the Sovereign) for almost 70 years, from Her Majesty’s Accession in 1952 until his death.”
The post also included a quote from a speech given by the monarch on her golden wedding anniversary in 1997. “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” she said of her husband at the time.
The royal matriarch shared four children — Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, with Philip, as well as eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
“When they were together, they could share everything,” royal expert Ingrid Seward exclusively told Us of the pair’s “enduring” romance. “I think it actually would have been an almost impossible job for someone to do on their own. So it was a partnership, a very unique partnership.”
The couple’s youngest son, Edward, 57, and his wife, Sophie, spoke about how the family was coping with the loss during an interview with The Sun on Saturday, April 10, pointing out the queen’s continued strength.
“The queen has been amazing,” the Countess of Wessex, 56, said, noting Her Majesty is “thinking of others before herself.”
A source told Us on Thursday, April 15, that the monarch, who is in an eight-day mourning period per royal protocol, has been “overwhelmed” by the “outpouring of love” and support for the royal family after Philip’s death, which occurred two months before of his 100th birthday.
“Elizabeth has found it cathartic to soak up all the well-wishes and tributes to the man she loved unconditionally for countless decades,” the insider said. “Seeing how many lives he touched has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
A second source told Us that the late royal’s relatives found solace in his “peaceful” passing.
“The whole family got a lot of comfort in knowing that he and Her Majesty got to be together in the sanctuary of Windsor Castle,” the insider said. “Spending time with Elizabeth, communicating with other loved ones, reading and relaxing in his home environment meant everything to Philip.”
Philip will be honored at a memorial service on Saturday, April 17. Us previously confirmed that Prince Harry returned home to the U.K. ahead of the funeral in order to be with family amid the heartbreaking loss. He flew solo as wife Meghan Markle is nearing the end of her second pregnancy and was advised by doctors not to travel.
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