Queen Elizabeth reportedly spent some time alone in silence after her beloved husband of seven decades, Prince Philip, passed away in April last year, her personal aide has revealed.
Angela Kelly in her book, The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, shared that the monarch spent some time alone in the immediate aftermath of Philip’s death.
Kelly, one of the Queen’s most trusted aides, recalled how she waited in the Queen’s dressing room for the monarch to return from the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
“I helped her off with her coat and hat and no words were spoken,” Kelly wrote in her book.
She added: “The Queen then walked to her sitting room, closed the door behind her, and she was alone with her own thoughts.”
Kelly was also part of the ‘HMS Bubble’, a group of royal aides who were chosen to isolate with the Queen and Philip during the height of the COVID pandemic to protect them.
Describing the day Philip passed away, Kelly shared: “The feeling among all the Royal staff in the bubble at Windsor Castle was sombre. Only a few of us were told after the family had been informed.”
Kelly also detailed the staff’s emotions and feeling through Philip’s funeral on April 17, writing: “You could see the expression of sadness on everyone's faces to see such a great and well-respected man making his last journey.”
“Their thoughts, I'm sure, were for The Queen, knowing she had lost a husband and a best friend. The nation shared the grief and their hearts went out to Her Majesty.”
She added: “I'm sure some of the prayers that were offered were by those who had never prayed before. I think those prayers were offered to keep The Queen strong throughout the months to come, when she would be without her husband.”