Queen Elizabeth Spoke Publicly About Prince Phillip for the First Time Since His Death

Almost six months to the day after her husband died, Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to Prince Philip publicly for the first time in a place that was close to both of the couple’s hearts.

Queen Elizabeth was overseeing the opening ceremony of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh when she briefly mentioned her late husband in her speech. “I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here,” she said in her remarks. “It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times.” The occasion also marked the first time she opened Scottish Parliament with him.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent plenty of time in Scotland during their 73 years together, specifically traveling regularly to Balmoral Castle, which was reportedly a favorite spot for the pair. This past June she visited the estate for the first time without her late spouse.

Prince Philip passed away in April of this year after a long period of illness. The queen has grieved his death mostly in private over the last several months, except when she publicly received a plant called the Duke of Edinburgh rose on what would’ve been his 100th birthday on April 9th. The queen suffered another loss just a few weeks ago in September when a close friend and confidante of hers, Sir Timothy Colman, died at the age of 91.

While it’s been half a year since her husband’s passing, there’s no doubt that Queen Elizabeth mourns his loss every day after so many years together. We hope she has a strong support system around her as she continues to work through such a difficult time.