Prince Harry releases first statement after Queen Elizabeth's death, says 'forever grateful'
Harry quit as a senior royal and moved to the UNited States two years ago. On Saturday, he and Meghan joined his brother Prince William and his wife Catherine in meeting mourners outside Windsor Castle.
FollowQueen Elizabeth's grandson Prince Harry, in a first official statement since the queen's death, has hailed her as a "guiding compass" and praised her "unwavering grace and dignity".
In his statement, Prince Harry, who stepped down from royal duties with his wife Meghan in 2020 said, "She was globally admired and respected."
Also read:Â Sealed in 1986, to be opened in 2085! Queen Elizabeth II's 'secret letter' in Sydney vault sparks intrigue
The personal statement, posted on Monday on Harry and his wife Meghan's Archwell website, said he cherished their times together "from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great grandchildren."
Harry quit as a senior royal and moved to the UNited States two years ago. On Saturday, he and Meghan joined his brother Prince William and his wife Catherine in meeting mourners outside Windsor Castle.
Also read:Â Queen Elizabeth's funeral: No selfies with coffin, officials issue rules for final respects
"I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over."
After he and Meghan left their official royal roles, they became alienated from the family, including his father, now King Charles, and delivered withering criticism of Buckingham Palace and how they had been treated.
"As it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III," he said.
Also read:Â US President Joe Biden accepts invitation to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral: Report
The funeral is scheduled to be held at 6:30 am on September 19. Until then, thousands are expected to want to pay tribute to the only monarch that many in the United Kingdom have ever known.
The closed coffin of the monarch who died on September 8 at the age of 96 will rest on a raised platform called a catafalque in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament.
The rules were made public a day after thousands of people lined roads and bridges Sunday as a hearse carried the queen's coffin across the Scottish countryside from her beloved Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh.
