The Subtle Yet Touching Way the Royal Family Honored Prince Philip After His Death

Corinne Heller
·2 min read

Hours following the death of Prince Philip, members of the royal family publicly honored the late Duke of Edinburgh in a subtle, but touching and patriotic way.

The profile pics on the Instagram and Twitter pages for the Royal Family, which represents Queen Elizabeth II, Kensington Palace—which represents Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, and Clarence House—which represents Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were changed to black and white versions of their official crest and other royal symbols. The three accounts' avatars were previously photos of the royals.

The Royal Family's new profile pic shows the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, which depicts two lions, a unicorn, a shield and a scroll bearing the French words "Dieu et mon droit," which means "God and my right" and is the motto of the U.K. monarchy.

Charles and Camilla's new avatar is the Prince of Wales' feathers, or his heraldic badge, which depicts a plume of three ostrich feathers inside a crown bearing several crosses and fleurs-de-lis, as well as a scroll bearing the German words, "Ich dien," which means, "I serve."

Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip's Romance Through the Years

William and Kate's new profile photo is the royal couple's monogram: The letters W and C—for Kate's full name Catherine—written on top of each other in calligraphy, under a crown.

Royal Family Instagram Profile Photos, Prince Philip
Royal Family Instagram Profile Photos, Prince Philip

In addition to swapping out their profile pics, an identical tribute to the duke, who passed away at age 99 on the morning of Friday, April 9, was posted on the royal family's social media pages, along with a black and white 1990 portrait of him in his military dress uniform.

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, 2007, Widget
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, 2007, Widget

"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," the posts read. "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."