The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, has paid tribute to his mother following her death in an emotional statement.
The Earl of Wessex said: “The Queen’s passing has left an unimaginable void in all our lives.
“Sophie and I have taken huge pleasure in seeing our James and Louise enjoying the places and activities that their grandparents loved so much.
“Given that my mama let us spend so much time with her, I think she also enjoyed watching those passions blossom.
“Those times together, those happy memories, have now become massively precious to each and every one of us.”
The Earl of Wessex also admitted the Royal Family has been “overwhelmed by the tide of emotion” from the public since the Queen’s death last week, and that the family is “united in grief”.
The Queen has been lying-in-state at Westminster Hall since Wednesday, where her coffin will remain until the day of her funeral.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners have visited the coffin already, with wait times now more than 24 hours.
Queuing for the Queen’s Lying-in-State was paused for six hours today after the entry point at Southwark Park reached capacity.
The Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday.
All the Queen’s children, including Prince Edward, as well as Princes William and Harry, will walk behind the coffin in a procession to Wellington Arch.
The coffin will then be transferred to the state hearse, which will take Her Majesty on to her final destination: Windsor Castle.
Prince Edward is the youngest sibling of King Charles lll and is 13th in line of succession to the British throne.
Featured image credit: Defence Imagery via Flickr under CC BY-NC 2.0 licence
