On Friday, April 9, 2021, His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died, at age 99. While the death of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband is a sad event for those who loved him around the world, it is obviously more heartbreaking for his family members, like his wife of 74 years, his children, and of course, his grandchildren. Of his numerous grandchildren, none might be as affected as the children of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry. When Diana died, it was Philip and Elizabeth who tried to shield the young boys from the paparazzi and allow them to mourn in peace.
According to Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, Philip did all he could to distract his grandsons from dwelling on their mother’s death. “Prince Philip took them walking, horse riding and fishing every day — anything to take their minds off the tragedy,” she wrote (via the Mirror). The late prince’s protection of the boys was further confirmed by royal expert Kinsey Schofield, founder of ToDiForDaily, who spoke to The List. “You will remember, Prince Philip offered to walk behind Princess Diana’s coffin with Prince William and Prince Harry to offer them strength and comfort,” she said. So it’d be no surprise that William would be deeply affected by Philip’s death.
Prince William will potentially take on more duties
Service has always been a large part of the royal family’s duties, and the Duke of Edinburgh was no exception. In fact, Prince Philip “played a leading role in many aspects of national life …[and] was associated with 992 organisations,” according to the royal family’s official website. Many of the patronages were divided up among other royal family members when Philip officially retired in 2017, but he was still actively interested in many parts of British life. Prince William took on a few of Philip’s more well-known charities, like the National Playing Fields Association and BAFTA upon Philip’s retirement, and the Duke of Cambridge’s responsibilities might be more ramped up in the future.
“Prince William should prepare to take on more responsibility,” Kinsey Schofield noted in her interview with The List. “There will be numerous reactions when we, God forbid, lose the Queen. Prince Philip’s death is making us contemplate this.” With the queen’s death, William’s responsibilities will become even more numerous, as he would then officially become the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cornwall, taking over even more work from his father. Philip’s death most likely has the Duke of Cambridge thinking about the future and he will undoubtedly work hard to honor his grandfather’s contributions to the United Kingdom throughout his life.
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