Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie pay tribute to 'our beloved Grannie' as they join vigil

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the Queen‘s granddaughters, have paid a loving tribute to their grandmother.

Prince Andrew’s daughters, who had a close relationship with the late monarch, told in statement how they “missed her terribly” and it had been the “honour of their lives” to have been her granddaughters.

They thanked their grandmother for “making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy”.

The pair also thanked her for being “the loving hand on our backs leading us through this world”, adding: “We, like many, thought you’d be here forever.”

The siblings remembered their grandmother as both a monarch and as simply “Grannie” and told how she had taught them much and that they will “cherish those lessons and memories forever”.

Beatrice and Eugenie also spoke of the Queen being reunited with her husband of 73 years the Duke of Edinburgh who died 17 months ago – saying “We’re so happy you’re back with Grandpa”.

The princesses shared many summers with the late monarch in the Scottish Highlands as the royals gathered each year on the Balmoral estate.

The message came minutes before the pair attended a vigil at the Queen’s coffin this evening (17 September), with the Queen’s other six grandchildren at Westminster Hall.

During the vigil, they stood in quiet contemplation around their grandmother for 15 minutes.

We’ve not been able to put much into words since you left us all. There have been tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved Grannie. We, like many, thought you’d be here forever. And we all miss you terribly. You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever. For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you. Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world. The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are. We’re so happy you’re back with Grandpa. Goodbye dear Grannie, it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we’re so very proud of you. We know that dear Uncle Charles, the King, will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service.