Prince Harry breaks silence with emotional tribute to The Queen

Prince Harry has shared a heartfelt statement responding to the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, thanking her for everything from her 'commitment to service' to her 'sound advice' and 'infectious smile.

Read the full statement here:

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday surrounded by family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Harry, Duke of Sussex, had raced across the UK but unfortunately missed out on seeing his grandmother one final time before she passed away.

He has now shared a statement praising the 'globally admired and respected' late monarch.

"Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings - from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander in Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren," Harry said.

"I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between.

"You are sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III."

He added: "We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace."

Read the full statement here:

ITV's Royal Editor Chris Ship took to Twitter the day of Her Majesty The Queen's death with the statement: "Very sad for Prince Harry that - despite being in the UK - he didn’t get to see his grandmother, The Queen, before she passed away.

"They were very close and he spoke to her often despite his decision to leave the Royal Family."

Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle didn't accompany him to visit The Queen in Balmoral. Kate Middleton also remained in London to pick up her children from school.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the news of Elizabeth's passing on Twitter yesterday (8 September) in an official statement: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow (9 September).”

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

The late Queen Elizabeth's son, now crowned as King Charles III, also issued the following statement following the death of his mother: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“We mourn profoundly the loss of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved Mother.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

The new King concluded the statement with: “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

Queen Elizabeth reigned for 70 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in the history of Britain when she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.

A Royal mourning has since been announced between now until a week after Queen Elizabeth's funeral, which is set to be held at Westminster Abbey.

There will be two minutes of silence across the United Kingdom, and after the hour-long service a procession will proceed through Hyde Park.

It has been confirmed that while the day of her funeral will be a National Day of Mourning, it is not expected to be a bank holiday - this decision will be up to the jurisdiction of employers to give their employees a day off or not.