prince charles welsh guards© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Charles says royal family were 'deeply moved' by military's role at Prince Philip's funeral

It was the Prince of Wales' first appearance since the service

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
May 5, 2021

The Prince of Wales has said that he and the royal family were "deeply moved" by role the military played at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last month.

Prince Charles, 72, made his first public appearance since his late father's funeral, visiting the Welsh Guards at their barracks in Windsor on Wednesday.

READ: Prince Philip's cause of death revealed three weeks after royal's death

WATCH: Prince Charles praises the Welsh Guards for role at Prince Philip's funeral

During the socially distanced visit to the barracks' gardens, he told the regiment: "I was so enormously proud of those of you who formed part of the complement during my father's funeral recently. If I may say so, what a wonderful credit not only to the Welsh Guards but also the Households Division and all those who were on parade, for what you all did.

"I know my family and I were deeply moved by the way you all performed your duties. People from other countries rang me up to say that they had never seen anything quite so marvellous, so beautifully done and with such dignity and style."

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© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Philip's funeral took place at St George's Chapel in Windsor

He added: "Of course it is something with which you are all rightly famed, but I know my father would have been also enormously touched because he had dreamt up this particular way he wanted it done. So you did him proud and you certainly did make your old Colonel very proud indeed."

The Prince has been Colonel of the Welsh Guards since 1975, following in his late father Prince Philip's footsteps, who was Colonel of the Battalion from 1953 to 1975.

Members of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards lined the North and East sides of the Windsor Castle Quadrangle at the Duke's funeral on 17 April.

© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Charles has been Colonel of the Welsh Guards since 1975

The Queen, her four children and eight grandchildren, along with their spouses, attended the moving service, which was restricted to 30 guests due to the pandemic.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Prince Philip's death certificate had stated that the 99-year-old had died of "old age".

The Queen's husband passed away "peacefully" at Windsor Castle on 9 April and according to the document, his death was certified by Sir Huw Thomas, head of the royal medical household.

"Old age" is an accepted term if the patient is over 80 years old and the doctor signing the certificate has "personally cared for the deceased over a long period and has observed a gradual decline in his general health," according to guidance given to doctors completing certificates of cause of death in England and Wales.

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