Prince William’s touching reflection on his grandmother

Prince William has paid a heartfelt tribute to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, revealing the unexpectedly simple gift she left him with – a lifelong love of afternoon tea. The 44-year-old Prince of Wales shared the reflection in a new video recorded for the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial, offering a rare glimpse into quiet family moments he treasured with Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

Rather than reflecting on royal duties, William recalled spending peaceful afternoons with the late Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, where the family would enjoy tea together while swapping stories. “Whilst I had the privilege to know the late Queen better than most, some of my fondest memories of my grandmother are from here in Windsor,” William said. “I remember many a quiet afternoon, having tea with her and my grandfather at the castle, chatting, sharing stories, and seeing how completely at ease she was here, surrounded by family and her much-loved dogs and horses.”

William continued: “To this day, she's given me a love of teatime that I never knew I needed.” He also reflected on watching his grandmother ride through Windsor Great Park well into her later years, describing a side of her that few members of the public ever witnessed. “Watching her ride her horses in the Great Park, even well into her later years, showed a side of Granny the world didn’t often see – off-duty, relaxed and utterly at home. These moments with my grandmother are ones I'll always hold dear,” he concluded.

The Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial

The Prince of Wales' message forms part of the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial, which launched on April 21 to coincide with what would have been the late monarch’s 100th birthday. The online tribute brings together archival photographs, historic footage and personal recollections to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's extraordinary life and record-breaking 70-year reign – the longest of any British monarch. William is the only member of the Royal Family to have contributed a personal video so far, joining a range of prominent public figures including Baroness Amos, Lord Chartres, former Bishop of London, and Olympic diving legend Tom Daley.

Members of the public have also been invited to contribute their own memories, creating a lasting digital archive dedicated to the late Queen. Former Palace press secretary Zaki Cooper, who serves on the digital memorial committee, said organisers hoped the project would encourage people across the world to share their stories. “We're hoping to drive people to the website to submit their own memories of the late Queen. We hope that this will generate interest and remind people of a memory,” he told The Times. “The beauty of this being a digital project is that it has a global reach and as we know the Queen was a huge figure throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.”

A mischievous encounter with American tourists

Among the most memorable contributions is a story from the Queen's former personal protection officer, Richard Griffin, who recalled the monarch's mischievous sense of humour during a walk near Balmoral in Scotland. Griffin revealed that the pair regularly enjoyed picnics and countryside walks together while he was on duty, often encountering tourists along the way. “I was personal protection officer of Her Majesty of the Queen from 1999 till when I retired from the Metropolitan Police Service in 2013,” Griffin revealed. “My happiest memory with working with Her Majesty the Queen was probably in about 2005. We were on duty at Balmoral and if I was on duty, the Queen's Chef would make a picnic, put it in my backpack and the Queen and I would go walking.”

During one of those outings, they came across an American couple hiking through the Scottish countryside. Because the Queen was dressed casually in a raincoat and headscarf, the tourists had no idea they were chatting with the British monarch. As they made small talk, the hikers asked where she lived. The Queen replied that she lived in London but had “a holiday home just the other side of the hills”. When they asked how long she had been visiting the area, she told them she had been coming there since she was a little girl.

Impressed, one of the tourists innocently asked whether she had ever met the Queen. “The Queen said 'well I haven't but Dick here meets her regularly',” Griffin recalled. Griffin decided to play along with the joke. “I said I meet her four or five times every week … I knew I could pull her legs I've been with her a long time and I thought 'well she's very cantankerous at times' and she gave me this look and I said 'but she's a wonderful lady with a wonderful sense of humour and she is a lovely person to work for'.” Still completely unaware they were speaking to Queen Elizabeth herself, the tourist was so impressed that he asked to have his photo taken with Griffin. “Anyway the next thing I know he comes across, put his arm around my shoulder and before I could stop him he puts his hand in his pocket and gives the Queen his camera and says can you take a picture of the two of us. So the Queen, bless her heart, gets his camera and takes a picture,” he laughed.

The significance of afternoon tea in British culture

Afternoon tea is a cherished British tradition dating back to the early 19th century, popularised by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. It typically involves a selection of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, cakes, and pastries, all accompanied by a pot of tea. For the Royal Family, afternoon tea has long been a moment of relaxation and informal family gathering. Queen Elizabeth II was known to enjoy a daily cup of Earl Grey tea, often with a slice of lemon and a small biscuit. Her love of tea was so well-known that when she visited tea plantations in India and Sri Lanka, she always took a keen interest in the process.

Prince William’s revelation that he inherited a “love of teatime” from his grandmother highlights how even the simplest rituals can carry profound emotional weight. It also offers a counterpoint to the formal, ceremonial image of the monarchy, revealing the Queen as a grandmother who took pleasure in quiet, domestic routines. This personal touch is what makes the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial so powerful – it invites the public to see beyond the crown and connect with the woman behind the throne.

Key facts from the article

• Prince William shared a rare personal memory of Queen Elizabeth II, revealing that she inspired his love of afternoon tea.
• The tribute was recorded for the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial, launched on April 21 to mark what would have been the Queen’s 100th birthday.
• William recalled peaceful afternoons at Windsor Castle having tea with the Queen and Prince Philip, as well as watching her ride horses in Windsor Great Park.
• Former protection officer Richard Griffin told a humorous story about an American tourist who unknowingly asked the Queen to take a photo of him with Griffin.
• The digital memorial also includes contributions from Baroness Amos, Lord Chartres, and Tom Daley, and invites the public to submit their own memories.

The Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial is a lasting tribute to a monarch who reigned for over seven decades, touching the lives of millions around the world. Through personal stories like William’s and Griffin’s, it honours not just her public service but the warmth and humour she brought to private moments. As the project continues to grow, it stands as a reminder that even the most celebrated figures are remembered most fondly for the small, everyday kindnesses they shared with those closest to them.

Source: Sky News News