Prince Andrew has broken his silence following the news of the Queen's death. Buckingham Palace confirmed Her Majesty had passed away on Thursday and the royal was among those who rushed up to Balmoral to be by her bedside in her final hours.
MORE: Royal family members pictured for first time after Queen's death - all the photos
According to PA, the Duke of York spoke to well-wishers as he walked past crowds outside Balmoral on his return from a short prayer service held in Her Majesty's honour at Crathie Kirk this afternoon.
WATCH: Prince Andrew's daughter Princess Eugenie sheds a tear as she inspects tributes to Queen
Asked by a mourner how things were, Andrew said: "We've been allowed one day, now we start the process of handing her on." He added: "It's nice to see you, thank you for coming."
MORE: The Queen's death: Day-by-day guide to what happens next
MORE: Which members of the royal family are still at Balmoral?
Joined by daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as well as his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward, among other members of the royal family, Andrew emerged from his car just before the bridge over the River Dee that leads towards the castle to see floral tributes left in memory of the Queen.
Prince Andrew comforted his daughters as they read tributes to the Queen
The group spent just under minutes intently reading the tributes and admiring the flowers before they returned inside Balmoral Castle.
MORE: Sarah Ferguson shares emotional message following sad death of her 'friend' the Queen
The third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after a BBC Newsnight interview, which focused on his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
As such, he has not made many public appearances with fellow members of the royal family over the last three years. He was notably absent from the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June after he tested positive for Covid-19 just days before he was due to appear alongside other members of the royal family at the Queen's Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity and royal news delivered directly to your inbox.