LONDON: Prince William and his wife Kate led royal tributes to mark the third anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth on Monday, as his brother Prince Harry flew into Britain and also paid respects to his grandmother at her final resting place.
Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died aged 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle, her Scottish summer retreat, after a 70-year reign.
To commemorate the late queen’s passing, heir to the throne William and Kate visited the local branch of the Women’s Institute (WI) near their home in Windsor, an organisation close to the late queen’s heart.
She had been a WI member for 80 years, and president of the branch near her Sandringham home in eastern England from 2003 until her death.
Meanwhile, shortly after arriving from his home in California, William’s younger brother Harry visited St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, less than 10 miles (16 km) away, to lay flowers where the late queen was laid to rest alongside her husband Prince Philip.
Despite their proximity, Harry, who is estranged from his family after their high-profile fallout, is not expected to see William during his visit to Britain this week, although there is speculation he might meet his father King Charles for the first time in 20 months.
Charles himself is currently staying at Balmoral with his wife Queen Camilla, and had no plans to publicly mark the occasion, which is also the anniversary of his accession to the throne.
The king and queen attended the nearby Crathie Kirk church on Sunday where prayers were said to mark Accession Day and for the Duchess of Kent, wife of the late queen’s cousin, who died last Thursday, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
The royal family’s X account posted a picture of the late monarch with the message “Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022” – REUTERS
