Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise and Prince Edward.Photo: Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty
Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wifeSophie, the Countess of Wessex, opened up about their emotional state duringPrince Philip’sfuneralin April.
In the couple’s first major sit-down interview, the Countess, 56, tearfully toldThe Telegraphabout the moment “when everything stopped” during the royal’s funeral.
“It was when the order was given to the soldiers to invert their weaponry,” she said in Saturday’s issue ofTelegraph Magazine.
During that moment, military personnel are required to point their rifles down and bow their heads as they wait for the Duke of Edinburgh in his hearse.
Sophie added that “everything went still” when she saw Prince Edward, 57, walking in the funeral procession behindPrince Philip’s casket. “I think the fact that there were so few of us only served to raise the intensity of it.”
Prince Philip’s funeral wasscaled backto only 30 guests in St. George’s Chapel due to the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic.
Of the nearly empty chapel, Prince Edward toldThe Telegraph, “It’s always difficult with these kinds of things because you’re in the middle of it, so you’ve got no idea what it necessarily looks like from the outside. It became really poignant to be there because it was suddenly so very intimate.”
Sophie on the other hand said, “You don’t actually think about lots of people watching, because it becomes so personal.”
She also sympathized withQueen Elizabeth, who had to sit alone during the funeral of her husband of 73 years.
“To see Her Majesty on her own; it was very poignant,” the Countess said.
Sophie continued, “I really felt for friends and family, as well as people from the Duke’s organizations who were devastated that they couldn’t pay their respects. But it would have been the same for every other family everywhere else.”
The Countess remarked that the funeral was “done beautifully” and that it was perfect forPrince Philipbecause there was “minimum fuss – it’s what he would have wanted.”
Prince Phillip.
Prince Edward — the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth, 94, and Prince Philip — will inherit his father’s title as the Duke of Edinburgh once his brotherPrince Charles, 72, ascends to the throne.
The title is supposed to go toPrince Andrew, 61, butPrince Philippersonally asked Prince Edward to take on that role.
“It’s a very bittersweet role to take on because the only way the title can come to me is after both my parents have actually passed away,” Prince Edward said in the joint interview with his wife. “It was a lovely idea; a lovely thought.”
RELATED VIDEO: Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress Is on Display at Kensington Palace
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“My parents have been such a fantastic support to each other during all those years and all those events and all those tours and events overseas,” he said.
Prince Edward added, “To have someone that you confide in and smile about things that you perhaps could not in public. To be able to share that is immensely important.”
Philip would have turned 100 this June.
source: people.com
