Queen 'thinking of others' first as she mourns the death of husband Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth II is "thinking of others before herself" even as she deals with one of the most troubling times of her life.

Sophie Wessex, the youngest daughter-in-law of the Queen, paid a visit to the monarch along with her husband Prince Edward on Saturday, a day after the demise of Prince Philip. The couple also attended a private service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor on Sunday, following which Sophie opened up a bit about her father-in-law's final moments.

"It was right for him. It was so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went. Very, very peaceful and that's all you want for somebody isn't it?" the Countess said, as per ITV News.

The 55-year-old further remembered the Duke of Edinburgh as a caring person who has left his near ones with many wonderful stories about him. She said: "He always exchanged words with everybody because it didn't matter what anybody was doing in and around the estate here or anywhere else, they all meant a lot to him, and he always took a very personal interest in everything that they were doing. They all have stories to tell, and most of them are very funny as well."

Her husband, Prince Edward, also opened up about his father's death and said that this still comes as a "dreadful shock" no matter how much one prepares for it. His comments came after Charles Anson, former press secretary to the Queen, revealed that the royal family was already aware that these might be the final months for Prince Philip who recently spent almost a month in hospitals for an unknown infection and a heart condition.

Anson told People: "She (Queen) would have thought about this moment several times, and her way would be to remain as steady and as calm as possible. That comes naturally to her through her temperament and her experience. In my years of working for her, she was always calm, no matter what was going on."

"But for any human being, this is a very cathartic moment," Anson added, noting that the 94-year-old "has an enormous amount of family support for her and will also take comfort from the enormity of the support from all over the world."

Meanwhile, the Queen's second son Prince Andrew revealed that she has described her husband's death as "a huge void" in her life.