Patricia Knatchbull – the godmother of Prince Charles - died peacefully at her home in Kent on June 13 with her children by her bedside.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Prince Charles attended the funeral service at St. Paul’s Church in London yesterday to honor the great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Sophie, Countess of Wessex were also in attendance.
After greeting his parents with a kiss, Prince Charles addressed 500 friends and family to farewell the “very special” Countess.
The Prince of Wales said in a statement: “I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of my very special godmother, Lady Mountbatten, whom I have known and loved ever since I can first remember.”
“She played an extremely important part in my life and I shall miss her presence most dreadfully."
In 1979, the Countess was the victim of a deadly IRA bomb attack that killed her father and her 14-year-old son.
Following the devastating incident, she devoted her life to various charities, particularly those that benefitted grieving parents.
She was left a widow after the death of her husband, Lord Brabourne, in 2005 and is survived by four sons and two daughters.
This article first published on New Idea.