Prince Charles: Royal family 'deeply moved' by military at Duke of Edinburgh's funeral

'My family and I were deeply moved by the way in which you all performed you duties'

Prince Charles has spoken of his pride in the Welsh Guards for the role they played in his father’s "beautiful and dignified" funeral.

The guards – parts of the Household Division – lined the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle as Prince Philip’s coffin was carried onto the specially-built Land Rover hearse.

The Prince of Wales said: "I know my father would have been also enormously touched because he had dreamt up this particular way he wanted it done. So you did him proud." 

Prince Charles is the Colonel of the Welsh Guards – a role he was passed by Prince Philip who was Colonel from 1953 to 1975.

Charles visited the Regiment at their barracks in Windsor on Wednesday to pass on the thanks of his whole family.

He said: "I know my family and I were deeply moved by the way you all performed your duties.

"People from other countries rang me up to say that they had never seen anything quite so marvellous, so beautifully done and with such dignity and style."

The Welsh Guards are light infantry soldiers and during the Covid pandemic they set up the UK’s first test sites and mobile testing units. 

The Prince, who referred to himself as their "old colonel" presented non-operational awards and took time to pass on his gratitude to as many of the soldiers as he could.

He said to them after their service at Prince Philip’s funeral: "You certainly did make your old colonel very proud indeed."

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