Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, has spoken about his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in a new documentary, revealing the pain of not being able to comfort her at Prince Philip's funeral in 2021 due to strict Covid distancing rules.
A Solemn Farewell
Prince Philip died in April 2021, and his funeral at St George's Chapel in Windsor was limited to 30 mourners under pandemic guidelines. The late Queen sat alone, masked and bowed, in a poignant image that resonated worldwide.
In the BBC documentary Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story, Our Century, Phillips reflected: "All you wanted to do was give her a hug and you couldn't do it." He walked in the funeral procession between Princes William and Harry, alongside his mother, Princess Anne, and other royals.
The Saddest Moment
Presenter Kirsty Young described the photograph of the Queen mourning alone as "one of the most moving images of her entire reign," adding that it "brought the nation closer to the Queen because they thought 'there she is going through what so many of us are going through.'"
Dame Helen Mirren, who portrayed the Queen in the 2006 film The Queen, called it "the saddest moment of all."
A Close Bond
Phillips, often reported as the Queen's "favourite grandson," shared that they were "very close" and spoke often. In 2024, he told Sky News Australia how "lucky" he was to be in Scotland before her death in 2022, enjoying a private family moment. "We'd had our quiet moment with her, we'd said our goodbyes," he said, making the public grief easier to bear.
