Prince William has revealed some of the moments he shared with his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II that he "will always hold dear" in a video memorial project filmed at Windsor Castle. The Prince of Wales spoke fondly of the late monarch, emphasizing quiet moments spent together away from the public eye.
Digital Memorial for the Queen's Centenary
The video was created for the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial website, which is open to the public to share their own memories of the late monarch, marking what would have been her centenary year. Others who have contributed include athlete Tom Daley, former Lord Bishop of London Lord Richard Chartres, and royal photographer Arthur Edwards.
In the video, William said: "It's a privilege to know the late Queen better than most. Some of my fondest memories of my grandmother are from here in Windsor. I remember many a quiet afternoon, having tea with her and my grandfather at the castle, chatting, sharing stories, and seeing how completely at ease she was here, surrounded by family and her much-loved dogs and horses. To this day, she's given me a love of teatime that I never knew I needed."
Off-Duty Moments at Windsor
The future King also recalled riding around the Windsor Estate, which showed a rare "off-duty and relaxed" side to the former monarch. He added: "Watching her ride her horses in the Great Park, even well into her later years, showed a side of Granny the world didn't often see, off-duty, relaxed, and utterly at home. These moments with my grandmother are ones I'll always hold dear."
William has previously spoken about spending time with his late grandparents at Windsor Castle when he was a student at nearby Eton College, where his eldest son Prince George will be attending later this year. During an appearance on AppleTV's The Reluctant Traveller series last year, he told host Eugene Levy: "I do miss my grandmother, and my grandfather. It's been quite a bit of change, so you do sort of, you think about them not being here any more, and particularly being in Windsor, for me Windsor is her. She loved it here, she spent most of her time here."
Memorial Site Details
The digital memorial site, led by the Cabinet Office, also features archive material, photography, and video from key events of the Queen's historic 70-year reign. The site launched to commemorate what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 100th birthday, marked on April 21 this year.
