The Queen shows ‘vulnerable’ side with touching tribute to Prince Philip to mark his 100th birthday

The Queen paid tribute to her late husband on what would have been a milestone day

The Queen and Prince Philip
(Image credit: Photo by Fiona HANSON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by FIONA HANSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Queen paid tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip, on what would have been his 100th birthday, showing a more vulnerable and casual side in touching photos. 


The Queen announced that she has planted a Duke of Edinburgh rose in the East Terrace Garden of Windsor Castle as a way to mark her husband’s 100th birthday, having lost him earlier this year. 

The rose was given to the Queen by the Royal Horticultural Society and footage of the moment the monarch received it shows her saying, “Isn't it lovely” before she adds, “That's very kind, thank you so much.”

A caption beside the photo on the Royal Family Instagram page explained more of the poignant meaning behind the gift, reading, “For every Duke of Edinburgh Rose sold, a donation will be made to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Living Legacy Fund. 

“The Fund will give a million more young people, from all circumstances and backgrounds, the opportunity to achieve a DofE Award. 

“Each rose purchased will help establish new DofE centres, deepen existing support, and train thousands more Leaders and volunteers.”

The commemorative bloom is available for UK-based royal fans to pre-order now, ranging from £12.99 for a Bare Root up to £70 for a Gardeners Pack.

The Duke of Edinburgh Rose | Prices start from £12.99

The Duke of Edinburgh Rose | <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X1623315&xcust=hawk-custom-tracking&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.roses.co.uk%2Fduke&sref" data-link-merchant="SkimLinks - roses.co.uk"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Prices start from £12.99

Prince Philip's commemorative flower is available to pre-order online now from Harkness Roses, marking what would have been his centenary. 

Royal experts and fans have also pointed out how the video shows Queen Elizabeth in a different light to the one we are used to. 

Her Majesty can be seen wearing a summery floral blue dress, a knitted white cardigan and sunglasses in the images and video, as opposed to her usual formal outfits. 

Royal supporters took to social media to praise the Queen for showing the world a more vulnerable and intimate side to herself following the loss of Philip. 

“This footage of the Queen in her cardigan at Windsor makes her seem much more vulnerable than she normally does when on duty, I think. And it brings home just how tough the last 18 months must have been on her as a wife, mother and grandmother,” wrote royal journalist Rebecca English.

The Queen

(Image credit: Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

“How interesting to see Her Majesty, the Queen in a simple cardigan and dress rather than her signature colour block ensemble,” another Twitter user wrote.

A third agreed, writing, “This is oh so very strange. The Queen being photographed in a cardigan, holding her silk headscarf...”

"I love everything about this story—the poignancy of the whole thing, the queen in her cardigan, the fact the president of the Royal Horticultural Society is called Keith Weed. Perfection, all of it,” another tweet said.

Caitlin Elliott
News Editor

Caitlin is News Editor for woman&home, covering all things royal, celeb, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Caitlin started on local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree. She also worked in Fashion PR as a Press Assistant for Arcadia's Topshop before becoming a part of the Now team. Caitlin went on to add the likes of Woman, GoodtoKnow, WhatToWatch and woman&home to her writing repertoire before moving on to her current role.