Prince Edward is paying tribute to his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
More than a week after the Queen passed away at age 96, her youngest son expressed his family's immense grief. "As a family, we have grown up learning to share our parents, especially our beloved mama, with the Nation, her Realms and the Commonwealth," the Earl of Wessex began in a statement on Sept. 16. "While it has been lovely to have spent time saying our own farewell privately at Balmoral, it is now time to allow others to be able to say their farewell."
Prince Edward's statement comes amid the Queen's lying in state at Westminster Hall in London, where members of the public are able to pay their final respects to the late monarch. The Prince and his siblings, King Charles III, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew held a vigil next to her coffin on Sept. 16, as mourners inside the hall looked on.
In his statement, Edward also issued a word of thanks to the public amid the family's mourning.
"We have been overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect to such a very special and unique person who was always there for us," he noted. "And now, we are there for her, united in grief. Thank you for your support, you have no idea how much it means."
The Earl of Wessex also shared how much he and his family including his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their children, Lady Louise, 18, and James, Viscount Severn, 14, valued their time spent with Her Majesty, before concluding his statement with a word of support to his oldest brother, King Charles.
He said, "May God bless Her Majesty and may her memory be long cherished even as the baton she has carried for these past 70 years now passes to the next generation and to my brother, Charles. Long Live The King."
The late monarch's funeral will take place on Sept. 19 at St. George's Chapel inside Windsor Castle. Viewers can stream the funeral proceedings on the eonline.com homepage and the E! News app. The stream will be split into two parts with a two hour break in between.
The first half will begin at 5:34 a.m. EST and end at 8 a.m. EST. The second stream will start at 10 a.m. EST and broadcast until 2:30 p.m. EST.
Live cable coverage will be airing on NBC, CNN, ABC and Fox News along with British channels in the U.K. such as BBC One, BBC News and Sky News.
Read more details about the Queen's funeral here.