The Prince and Princess of Wales have marked three years since the death of Queen Elizabeth at a joint event this morning. It comes as Prince Harry makes his own tribute as he returns to the UK
Prince William and Princess Kate have paid their respects to the late Queen on the third anniversary of her passing, and just a few short miles away, Prince Harry paid his own tribute.
The Prince and Princess of Wales attended an engagement in Sunningdale to commemorate the extraordinary life of the late monarch, as they visited the National Federation of Women’s Institute (WI), which holds a special connection to the late Queen.
Kate was not due to join William at the event, but she made a last minute decision to support him on the heartbreaking anniversary.
And at the same time, Harry visited St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle to visit his grandmother’s grave just moments after touching down at Heathrow. The Duke of Sussex reportedly left a wreath and a bouquet flowers on the late Queen’s grave in a private moment of reflection.
Prince Harry is said to have asked for special permission to visit the Queen’s final resting place, with Buckingham Palace aides agreeing, but insisting his visit was private. However, an onlooker at Windsor managed to snap the Duke of Sussex on the grounds of the castle.
The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK and is a safe place for women to come together and engage in a range of activities, share experiences and work together to influence positive change in their local, national and global communities.
READ MORE: Prince Philip had ‘cheeky’ nickname for Queen and it’s something you’d never expectREAD MORE: Prince William’s firm reason for rejecting ‘out of hand’ Prince Harry reunion
The organisation holds a special connection to Her Late Majesty as she was a member for 80 years, joining in 1943 and serving as President of the Sandringham WI from 2003 until her death in 2022.
The Late Queen was an active member of the WI and would regularly attend the New Year meeting in January. In 2022 Her Late Majesty also hosted a reception at Sandringham House for volunteer groups, pensioners and fellow members of the WI group, to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
The Prince and Princess met with members from there and across Berkshire to hear about the work of the WI and how it gives opportunities for women to socialise, learn new skills and engage in community projects.
William and Kate also heard from members about the importance of The Late Queen’s involvement in the organisation and meet those who interacted and met with Her Late Majesty during her reign.
King Charles and Queen Camilla also honoured the anniversary, as the monarch’s official social media page shared an image of the late Queen with the simple caption: “Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.”
The sad anniversary coincides with Harry’s solo four-day visit to the UK, his first trip back home in five months. Harry has made the trip from his home in California to London for the WellChild Awards, to celebrate the achievements and resilience of seriously ill youngsters and their families.
It will be Harry’s 15th time attending the annual award ceremony as he continues his work as the charity’s patron, which is a role he has held for 17 years. The Duke will spend time with each winner and their families at a pre-ceremony reception then present an award to an inspirational child aged four to six.
Just moments after landing at Heathrow, Harry is said to have made his way to St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, where he tied the knot with Meghan Markle in 2018, to pay his respects to his late grandmother.
It was on this day exactly three years ago that Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 after seeing out her final day at her beloved Balmoral home in the Scottish Highlands. Her death saw King Charles take to the throne after being primed for most of his life to fulfil the top job.
The late Queen symbolised the stability of the nation, and most people had known no other monarch on the British throne. At her side for 73 years was Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, her outspoken consort, with whom she fell in love as a teenager when he was a naval cadet, and who died at the age of 99 in 2021.
Before her death, she had struggled with her mobility for some time, and had marked her Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne just three months before her death in June 2022.
The late Queen died at 3.10pm on September 8, her death certificate later revealed, with the cause listed as “old age”. News of the monarch’s demise and the accession of Charles as King was announced to the world by Buckingham Palace just over three hours later at 6.30pm that evening.
She is buried alongside her husband, her parents and her sister Princess Margaret’s ashes in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that renowned architect Lord Foster has won the bid to design a national memorial to the late Queen, with a new bridge inspired by her wedding tiara.
Lord Foster, who once criticised the King for using his “privileged position” to intervene in a development, will transform St James’s Park, close to Buckingham Palace, with a “very light touch” in a ‘contemplative’ tribute to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch.
Key features include a statue of the late monarch in a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, a new Prince Philip Gate on the other side of the park on Birdcage Walk with a statue of Philip, as well as a “family of gardens”, meandering paths and a new translucent, glass unity bridge.
The proposal for the memorial will be subject to change, with the panel of committee members working with the team on the final design, which is expected to be unveiled in 2026, which would have been the late Queen’s 100th birthday year.
