At Prince Philip’s funeral, who passed away on April 9, Queen Elizabeth II honoured her late husband by placing a handwritten note on top of his coffin. The note was left on the coffin throughout the funeral services.

The note, edged in black, read ‘In loving memory’, according to Daily Mail. The monarch reportedly signed the note with ‘Lilibet’, a nickname she was given as a child. Prince Philip is known to have been the last person who called her by the name.

The Queen last signed ‘Lilibet’ on the flowers at her mother’s funeral in 2002.

The Queen and Prince Philip had been together for 73 years. At the funeral held at St George’s Chapel, the monarch sat alone, away from the rest of her family, in keeping with the pandemic guidelines. Only 30 mourners were allowed inside the chapel during the service.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin carried his sword, naval cap, and a wreath of flowers, which was placed on a self-designed green Land Rover Defender hearse.

A former senior aide at the palace told People that the grieving monarch understands “she has a job to do” and will “carry on”. “Her family will step up and be by her side, but she will carry on. She understands that she has a job to do, and [Philip] would have wanted her to crack on. She did do so when he retired from public life.”

“She will never abdicate because of duty and honor and public service is so deep in her, as it was for him,” a royal insider was also quoted as saying.