Prince William Says His 'Grannie' Was Beside Him During His 'Happiest Moments' & 'Saddest Days'

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William paid tribute to his "Grannie" and said she was always by his side in his "happiest moments" and his "saddest days."

The new Prince of Wales released a statement on Saturday, September 10, about his grandmother who died at the age of 96 on Thursday, ending her 70-year reign as monarch.

"The world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the realms and the commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign," William said.

"I, however, have lost a grandmother," he continued. "While I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade."

The Prince of Wales shared that his wife Kate got to have 20 years of guidance and support from the queen and that his children got to create memories to last their whole lives.

"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life," he said of his grandmother.

"I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real," Prince William continued.

The Duke of Cambridge thanked the queen for the kindness she showed him and his family and then also thanked her on behalf of his entire generation for being "an example of service and dignity in public life."

"My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen," he said.

"I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can," Prince William concluded.

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her son Charles has become king, which moves up the line of succession for the throne.

Now, Prince William is first in line, followed by his three children in birth order — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The second-born son of the king, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is fifth in line for the throne, and then his children — Master Archie and Miss Lilibet — are sixth and seventh, respectively. Both of Harry and Meghan's children are now eligible to be given the titles of prince and princess after their grandfather became king, but they are to be given those titles to make it official.

In his first address as the new monarch, King Charles III officially gave William and Kate the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales.

The new king previously held the title of Prince of Wales for more than six decades, while the last person to hold the title Princess of Wales was Princess Diana, William and Harry's mother and King Charles III's first wife.

As the eldest son of the ruling monarch, Prince William now also holds the title of Duke of Cornwall.