Prince William's rare confession over missing Queen Elizabeth II after her death
Prince William has made a surprise appearance in Eugene Levy's The Reluctant Traveler
Prince William has admitted he still deeply misses his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, following her death, in a rare and emotional TV appearance.
The Prince of Wales, 43, opened up during an appearance on Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler.
He gave the Schitt’s Creek actor a personal tour of Windsor Castle, a place that holds special meaning for William due to its close ties to the late queen.
Prince William opens up about Queen Elizabeth II’s death
In the episode, the Prince of Wales and Eugene stood together in the King’s Drawing Room, overlooking Eton College and West London.
“Do you miss your grandmother?” American Pie star Eugene gently asked.
William responded softly: “I do actually, yeah. I do miss my grandmother and my grandfather.”
The candid exchange marks one of the few times William has spoken publicly about the queen since her death in September 2022.
I do miss my grandmother and my grandfather.
Reflecting on how much has changed since both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip died, the heir to the throne said that Windsor especially evokes memories of his grandmother.
“It’s been quite a bit of change. You think about them not being here anymore,” he added. “Particularly being in Windsor. For me, Windsor is her.”
William also said he wanted to honour her memory by showing Eugene around the royal residence with the same warmth and grace the queen would have offered.
“She loved it here. She spent most of her time here. Showing you around today is very much a case of trying to make sure I’m doing it in the way she’d want you to see it,” he explained.
‘She loved it here’
One of the reasons Queen Elizabeth was so fond of Windsor, William noted, was because of the vast estate that allowed her to ride horses, one of her lifelong passions.
He said. “She had her horses here as well. It was a big deal for her. That’s why she loved it here.”
Eugene’s series sees him travel the world ticking off items from his personal bucket list.
As a Canadian and citizen of a Commonwealth nation, the actor said he was particularly interested in exploring the legacy and traditions of the royal family.
What he didn’t know was that he’d be getting a royal guide. The surprise was revealed when a hand-delivered note from Prince William arrived at his suite at The Goring Hotel in London. The Goring is the same hotel where Kate Middleton spent the night before her 2011 wedding.
“Why don’t you pop down to the Castle,” William cheekily wrote in the note.
Eugene obliged. In the episode, upon arriving at Windsor, he’s greeted by the prince, who pulled up on a scooter before leading him on the exclusive tour.
“We provide this service for everyone,” William joked in the episode. “We do personalised tours everywhere!”
William appears in Apple TV series with Eugene Levy
Prince William and his family have lived on the Windsor estate since August 2022. They’re expected to move into nearby Forest Lodge, described as their “forever home”, later this year.
The fourth episode of The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy aired on Friday (October 3) on Apple TV+.
In another moment, William opened up about dealing with his wife Kate’s and father King Charles’ cancer diagnoses. In a Windsor pub, the prince reflected: “I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had. Life is sent to test us.”
Read more: Prince William ‘giving off king energy’ as he meets Crown Prince of the State of Kuwai
What do you think? You can share your thoughts with us on our Royal Insider Facebook page. We want to hear your thoughts!
