“I knew this day would come, but it will be a while before the reality of life without Grandma sets in,” the new Prince of Wales said in his first public statements since Queen Elizabeth II’s death. “I will honor her memory by supporting my father, the King, in every way I can,” William said, speaking of his father King Charles III’s ascension to the throne. William said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader”, adding that the Queen had provided the perfect example of “service and dignity in public life” to his generation. And he continued: “I, however, lost a grandmother. And while I will mourn her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and assurance in my fifth decade.’ The prince also said his children will have “memories that will last a lifetime” of their great-grandmother and that his wife, Princess Kate, “had her guidance and support for twenty years”. He said of the Queen: “She was by my side in my happiest moments. And he was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I thank her for the kindness she showed to my family and to me.” He added: “My grandmother used to say that sadness is the price we pay for love. All the grief we will feel in the coming weeks will be a testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen.” William was present when his father was officially named King at an accession council ceremony with Liz Truss and other senior members of the privy council at St James’s Palace in London on Saturday morning. William and Kate joined Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to view floral tributes at Windsor Castle on Saturday afternoon – the couple’s first public appearance together since March 2020. A royal a source said William asked Harry and Meghan to “join him and the Princess of Wales” on the walk. The King announced on Friday that William and Kate were to become the new Prince and Princess of Wales. This means that William is following in his father’s footsteps and that Kate has become the first person since Diana, Princess of Wales to use the title. William’s tribute to his grandmother came as Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen’s funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday, September 19, which has also been declared a bank holiday. Ahead of the funeral, the coffin carrying the Queen’s body will lie in Westminster Hall for “four clear days” from September 14 to allow members of the public to pay their respects. New Prime Minister Liz Truss, along with her ministers, opposition party leaders and other senior officials, pledged allegiance to the new king as parliament convened for a rare session on Saturday. The King also held an audience with the new prime minister and her cabinet, followed by a separate audience with Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and Westminster SNP leader Ian Blackford.
