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Prince Harry, Prince William share Prince Philip tributes; Countess Sophie reveals final moments

Prince Harry and Prince William shared personal tributes on Monday to their grandfather Prince Philip, who died Friday at the age of 99.

The Duke of Sussex called Philip "a man of service, honour and great humour" in a statement shared to USA TODAY.

"He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm—and also because you never knew what he might say next."

Though Harry acknowledged that many will remember Philip for his legacy as "the longest resigning consort to the Monarch," he wrote that he will remember his grandfather as much more than that.

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“To me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end," he wrote.

He concluded his message by thanking Philip for his "dedication to Granny, and for always being yourself.

"You will be sorely missed, but always remembered—by the nation and the world. Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts."

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Prince William also commemorated his late grandfather on Monday, whose "century of life was defined by service – to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and Queen, and to our family.

"I feel lucky to have not just had his example to guide me, but his enduring presence well into my own adult life – both through good times and the hardest days," William wrote. "I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her."

William also shared a photo of his son Prince George alongside Prince Philip, both dressed in blue.

Prince Philip's final moments were "very, very peaceful," his daughter-in-law Countess Sophie of Wessex told reporters Sunday.

“It was right for him. It was so gentle," added Sophie, 56, the wife of Philip's youngest son, Prince Edward. "It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went. Very, very peaceful. And that’s all you want for somebody isn’t it?"

Philip, 99, died Friday at Windsor Castle and left what the 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth II described as "a huge void in her life," said her son Prince Andrew, the third of the couple's four children. "We've lost, almost, the grandfather of the nation."

"I feel very sorry and supportive of my mother, who's feeling it probably more than everybody else," Andrew told journalists gathered Sunday outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor, where he and his brother Prince Edward's family attended church.

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Two days after his father's death, Prince Andrew tells reporters outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor that the loss of Prince Philip has left "a huge void" in Queen Elizabeth II's life.
Two days after his father's death, Prince Andrew tells reporters outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor that the loss of Prince Philip has left "a huge void" in Queen Elizabeth II's life.

Princess Anne, Philip's only daughter, thanked the public for the "messages and memories of so many people whose lives (her father) also touched."

"You know it’s going to happen but you are never really ready," Anne, 70, said Sunday in a statement shared by the palace. "My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate. His ability to treat every person as an individual in their own right with their own skills comes through all the organisations with which he was involved. ... We will miss him but he leaves a legacy which can inspire us all."

More: Prince Charles remembers 'dear papa' Prince Philip; Harry, Duchess Meghan, more royals mourn

Philip's funeral will take place April 17 at Windsor Castle, where the prince lived out his final weeks with the queen. Only 30 people are allowed to attend the smaller service at St. George's Chapel under current COVID-19 restrictions in England, but it will be broadcast live. The prince will be interred at the royal vault in the chapel, according to the palace.

His grandson Prince Harry, who lives in California since stepping away from royal duties last year, will attend the service along with other members of the royal family, palace officials have said. His wife, Duchess Meghan, is pregnant with their second child and has been advised by her doctor not to make the journey.

Philip's death comes a month after the couple's bombshell televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they opened up about their reasons for stepping back from royal duties and moving to America in search of more independence and privacy.

Prince Philip reaction: Boris Johnson, the Bidens, Piers Morgan mourn the Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Edward (left), Countess Sophie (right) and their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor (center), attend Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints on April 11, 2021, two days after the death of Edward's father, Prince Philip.
Prince Edward (left), Countess Sophie (right) and their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor (center), attend Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints on April 11, 2021, two days after the death of Edward's father, Prince Philip.

Royal family members said they appreciated the outpouring of good wishes from people across Britain and around the world to Philip, who was the queen's consort and support through more than seven decades of marriage.

Palace and government officials have discouraged well-wishers from paying their respects in person amid the coronavirus pandemic. But hundreds of people on Sunday brought notes, cards and flowers to the gates of Windsor Castle, while others laid tributes outside Buckingham Palace.

Prince Edward, 57, said the "extraordinary" tributes meant a lot. "It just goes to show, he might have been our father, grandfather, father-in-law, but he meant so much to so many other people," he said.

In this file photo taken Nov. 18, 2007, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (front center) and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (front right) are joined at Clarence House in London by Prince Charles, (front left) Prince Edward, (back right) Princess Anne (back center) and Prince Andrew (back left) on Nov. 18, 2007.
In this file photo taken Nov. 18, 2007, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (front center) and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (front right) are joined at Clarence House in London by Prince Charles, (front left) Prince Edward, (back right) Princess Anne (back center) and Prince Andrew (back left) on Nov. 18, 2007.

Andrew, 61, who has largely kept out of the public eye since 2019 amid controversy over his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, also praised the "absolutely amazing tributes."

Edward, called Philip's death a "dreadful shock" on Sunday but added that his mother was "bearing up."

Prince Charles, 72, said in a recorded video statement Saturday the royal family is "deeply grateful" for the outpouring of support they've received.

"My 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,″ Charles said. “And 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.”

Prince William and Duchess Kate, as well as Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, posted tributes to Philip on social media.

Contributing: Jill Lawless, The Associated Press, and Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY

Prince Philip funeral set for April 17: Your funeral questions, answered

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry, Prince William share Prince Philip tributes