Prince Charles Praises 'Dear Papa' Prince Philip For 'Remarkable, Devoted Service To Queen'

Prince Charles has paid tribute to Prince Philip for the first time since his father passed away Friday at age 99.

Speaking from outside his home Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England, the Prince of Wales said his "dear papa" was a "much-loved and appreciated figure" and praised him for his devotion to Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family.

"I particularly wanted to say that, my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to The Queen, to my family, and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth," he said in a video shared on the Clarence House Instagram account.

He continued, "And as you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously - he was a much-loved and appreciated figure, and apart from anything else, I can imagine he'd be so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world in the Commonwealth who also, I think, share our loss and our sorrow."

Prince Charles went on to say that his "dear papa was a very special person who, I think, above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him."

"From that point of view, we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss, and at this particularly sad time," the heir to the British throne added.

Buckingham Palace broke the news of Prince Philip's death on Friday, saying in a statement that the Duke Of Edinburgh "passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," where he and the Queen had been staying during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," the palace said. "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth's former press secretary, Charles Anson, recently said the monarch has been prepared for Prince Philip's death for years and will likely remain calm and steady amid the loss of her husband of 73 years.

Queen Elizabeth II's daughter-in-law, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, told reporters that the 94-year-old royal has "been amazing," Sky News reported.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has announced that Prince Harry will be attending Prince Philip's funeral, which will be held at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17. However, his wife, Meghan Markle, won't be able to join him as she has been advised against traveling amid her pregnancy.