Prince Michael Passing Entry 187
Life, Death
12/4
I got a call from Papa around 4:30 this morning, urging me to get to London. As soon as I told him I was dropping everything, he told me that a helicopter would take me to collect Anne and we'd get a plane down from Cambridge together.
Once I'd gotten to Cambridge I received more news. Greatpapa had been released from hospital, not because he's better but because he 'wants to die in his own bed.'
Annie was practically silent the whole flight to London. From the airport, we had police escort and we went straight to Buckingham Palace. The escort made the urgency rather clear. I can't help but wonder what anyone who saw might have thought, seeing a small motorcade with police escort hurrying down the Mall and through the Palace gates.
When we got to BP it was so quiet. All the cousins and Aunts and Uncles were there. We'd gotten there at about 10:30am.
Anne and I were given a few minutes alon with him. He was fully aware and seemed at peace.
Around noon, Gran went in and spent time alone with him. She was with Greatpapa when it happened, just the two of them.
It was a quiet passing, from what we could hear in the corridor, peaceful.
It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness, Prince Michael, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness died peacefully at Buckingham Palace at1:07pm. He was with Her Majesty the Queen as he breathed his last. The Royal Family with people the world over in mourning the Prince's loss.
Gran asked me to handle a good deal of the correspondence.
Officially it's being handled by St James's Palace, even though I don't move in until next week. And even then not really until the end of the term.
