Heartbreaking moment the Queen touches wedding ring at the mention of Prince Philip

18 November 2021, 12:35 | Updated: 19 November 2021, 17:03

By Alice Dear

The Queen returned to royal duties yesterday at Windsor Castle, and appeared to pay tribute to her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a meeting with General Sir Nick Carter.

The Queen, 95, delighted the public yesterday as she returned to duties following a bout of ill health.

Her Majesty was pictured at Windsor Castle on Wednesday as she met with the outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter.

And while the meeting appeared to be just like any other royal engagement, we've spotted a very touching moment where the Queen appears to have paid tribute to her husband.

During her conversation with General Sir Nick Carter, the Queen can be seen touching her wedding ring at the mention of Prince Philip and his family.

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After shaking hands with the general, the Queen can be heard saying "how sad" it was that he was stepping down from the post, which he told Her Majesty he had held for eight years.

He went on to add: "In fact, the only person who has done it longer I'm told is Lord Mountbatten."

The Queen replied: "Oh really", and can be seen reaching for her wedding ring in the same moment.

Watch the moment in this video below:

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma was the Queen's late husband's maternal uncle.

He was assassinated in August 1979 when a bomb panted on his yacht exploded with him on board.

While we know that General Sir Nick Carter was talking about Lord Mountbatten, it appears it impacted the Queen, especially when we take into consideration Prince Philip was commonly known as Philip Mountbatten.

Whether a conscious or sub-conscious decision, the Queen touched her wedding ring at the mention of the name in a very subtle but special moment.

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We're not the only ones who spotted the tribute, with some people online also making the connection.

One person commented: "She touches her wedding ring as she heard that last name."

Another wrote: "He mentioned Mountbatten and she instinctively went for her wedding ring."

This comes just days before the Queen is set to mark her wedding anniversary for the first time without her beloved husband.

Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021, and the Queen would have been married for 74 years on November 20.

Read more Royal Family news:

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• Kate Middleton wears two pieces of Princess Diana's jewellery to Festival of Remembrance
• The Queen is forced to pull out of Remembrance Sunday Service at the last minute