The Royal Family suffered the loss of patriarch Prince Philip this year. The Duke of Edinburgh, who was married to the Queen for 73 years, died on April 9 aged 99. Royal fans and experts across the world sent their condolences to the Duke’s family, including royal blogger Gertrude Daly, who received a surprise reply from the Cambridges.

       Ms Daly shared the response on her Twitter account - and received hundreds of likes.

       The message reads: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank you for your kind words following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.

       “Their Royal Highnesses have been incredibly moved by the many thoughtful messages they have received in recent weeks.

       “They will all miss their much loved grandfather and great-grandfather, but your message has provided great comfort at this difficult time.”

       The heartfelt message was included in a card which featured a photograph of the late Duke, taken during Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Armed Forces Parade in May 2012.

       He is seen wearing his military regalia as he smiles broadly.

       When Philip died, the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge shared a series of never-before-seen photographs of him with other royals.

       In one of the posts, William shared his admiration for his “sense of adventure” as well as his “mischievous sense of humour”.

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