Royal family will reunite for BBC tribute to Duke of Edinburgh
THE Royal family is to reunite to honour the late Duke of Edinburgh, as the Duke of York and Duke of Sussex return to the family fold for a television tribute later this month.
The BBC programme, originally commissioned to celebrate the Duke’s 100th birthday, will see all of his children and adult grandchildren share their “personal thoughts and reflections” in what is described as “a historic tribute”.
The hour-long show, due to broadcast on BBC One, will see the family share memories of the Duke accompanied by scenes from the Queen’s private cine-film collection. Viewers will be invited into the Duke’s study, library and private office, with insights from his long-serving staff.
All of the Queen and Duke’s children and adult grandchildren will be taking part in the programme, along with other members of the Royal family.
It includes the Duke of Sussex, who has left official royal duties but returned to Britain for the Duke’s funeral, previously paying tribute to his grandfather as a “master of the barbecue, legend of banter and cheeky right till the end”.
The Duke of York, who stepped down from public life over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and is currently facing a lawsuit over claims of sex abuse which he has always denied, will also appear.
The Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, Earl of Wessex, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and Lady Louise Windsor are all due to appear.
No royal spouses, including the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex, will be taking part, making way for those who grew up with the Duke to give their personal insights.
In an announcement from the BBC, programme-makers said: “For the first time on television, more than a dozen members of the Royal family offer their personal thoughts and reflections as they pay a historic tribute to the extraordinary life of His Royal Highness Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh.”
The programme was originally supposed to honour the Duke on his 100th birthday, with some interviews filmed before his death in April this year. It has since been repurposed as a tribute film, with new interviews and scenes reflecting his death at the age of 99. The BBC said: “There are poignant recollections, plenty of humour and numerous fresh insights into the character and legacy of this royal pioneer. With special access to the Queen’s private cine-film collection, this film is an unrivalled portrait of a man with a unique place in royal history – by those who knew him best.”
Meanwhile, Kristen Stewart has claimed the spirit of Diana, Princess of Wales, gave her the “sign-off ” for her role in the recent film Spencer.
Asked by the LA Times if she had any paranormal encounters, the actress replied: “I felt some spooky, spiritual feelings making this movie.”
She added: “There were times where I was like, “Oh, God,” almost like she was, you know, trying to break through. It was weird. And amazing. I’ve never felt anything like it in my life.”
Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers will air on Sept 22 at 9pm on BBC One.
‘There are poignant recollections, plenty of humour and numerous fresh insights into the character and legacy of this royal pioneer’