Prince William and Kate Middleton paid a special tribute to Prince Philip at their most recent event

(Image credit: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace confirmed the tragic news earlier this month that Prince Philip had passed away, aged 99.

'It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,' Buckingham Palace announced in a statement.

'His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.'

Royal family members paid tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh and have been rallying around the Queen, with Prince Harry even flying back to the UK for Prince Philip's funeral this weekend and HRH's 'gang of four' stepping up to support her.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among the first to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh when news broke, with Prince William releasing a personal message:

'My grandfather’s century of life was defined by service – to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and Queen, and to our family,' read a quote by Prince William, captioning a sweet photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh with Prince George.

A photo posted by on

'I feel lucky to have not just had his example to guide me, but his enduring presence well into my own adult life – both through good times and the hardest days. I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her. I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humour!

'My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation. Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.'

This week, was no exception as the Duke and Duchess returned to work, for the first time since the royal family's period of mourning. And the first event was a fitting tribute to Prince Philip.

A photo posted by on

'Paying tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh, who served as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years @aircadets,' captioned the Cambridges' post of their first event back at work.

'The Duke and Duchess visited @282ATC, which supports its cadets to gain skills and qualifications across a variety of different disciplines from aviation, cyber and radio communications to adventure training, music, First Aid and air experience flying, gliding and a space syllabus 🚀

'In 2015, The Duke of Edinburgh passed his military patronage to The Duchess of Cambridge, who became Honorary Air Commandant.

'Now in their 80th year, the Air Cadets has more than 32,000 members aged between 12-19 years old. Sponsored by @RoyalAirForceUK, the Air Cadets provides hands-on experience that challenge and develop skills amongst young people to help them succeed, encourage the spirit of adventure and develop qualities of leadership and good citizenship.'

What a fitting tribute.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.