Holly Willoughby left her This Morning co-stars and viewers choked up yesterday when she read out the letters her children had written following the death of the Queen. Now, the presenter has shared a rare detail about her daughter Belle, admitting it's a personal nod to the late monarch.
The 41-year-old was back at the helm to the ITV daytime show on Tuesday (September 13) alongside Phillip Schofield as they hosted another special episode paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The shortened programme, on from 10am to 12pm, saw the duo discussing the latest news surrounding the Queen's funeral and King Charles' latest trip as part of his new role.
They were also just by those who have met the Queen, sharing their own personal stories, as well as looking back at the Queen's iconic fashion statements over the years and meeting the man who helped Her Majesty keep her beloved Corgis in check.
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The show's agony aunt Deidre Sanders was also back on the programme and invited viewers to share their stories of meeting the Queen as well as talk to those who may have found themselves surprised by their emotional response to her passing.
As they chatted to callers one, named Liz, shared how she actually met the late monarch as a baby. This led to Holly making a revelation about her own daughter. "Belle's middle name is Elizabeth," the mum-of-three said before adding: "In a nod to the Queen." As Deidre replied: "Oh really?" Holly confirmed that was the choice she and husband Dan Baldwin made when welcoming their only daughter.
On Monday, during This Morning's first special memorial programme, shown without adverts as a mark of respect, Phillip and Holly were joined by a number of guests as they discussed the Queen's death and memories of Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
As they opened the ITV daytime show at a later time of 11am, while both wearing black outfits as a sign of respect, Holly first told how she was “really touched” by messages her children wrote to the Queen following her death. The 41-year-old shared how she encouraged her three children with husband Dan Baldwin – Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Chester, seven – to put down their feelings in writing before taking them to Buckingham Palace where they laid flowers and reflected on the nation's loss.
"She was just consistently here for so many of us. So many of us never knew any different so suddenly for her not to be there…" Holly began. "I think that is why on Saturday I wanted to take the children down because I think you are trying to explain it to young people. You are almost trying to understand it yourself.
"I found it quite helpful as, as I was talking to them, it was helping it sink in for myself." Speaking about how she had explained the ideas of service and duty to her youngest, Holly added: "I was trying to explain to him that whatever her passions and her loves (were) from being a little girl, this was where she was destined to go, what she was destined to do.
"All of her own passions had to be put on the backburner for her country. Chester, he loves football but that would not be something he would get to do and it was giving him that level of understanding." Alongside Phillip and co-stars Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, Holly read out her children's letters.
In his letter, Harry described the late monarch as “the greatest queen England has ever seen” before adding: “You have done so well without Philip, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you. I am glad you get to see him again.” Belle, meanwhile, said she hoped the Queen was having “an outstanding time in heaven with Philip and your mother and father" before introducing herself and saying she believed they would be friends, despite having different favourite bears in Paddington and Winne The Pooh.
Chester, meanwhile, kept his not short and sweet and wrote only: “To your majesty, thank you for being our Queen. Lots of love. Chester." Alison and Dermot were visibly moved and Alison, 47, even asked to keep hold of the copy of the letters Holly had printed on her cue cards.
Holly has since shared a fresh tribute to the late Queen in an email sent round to the subscribers of her lifestyle website, Wylde Moon. "Dear Friend, Once again, we find ourselves going through a shared experience and this time it’s one of loss and grief," she penned. "The passing of Her Majesty The Queen, although inevitable, has still come as such a shock to us all. She was very much the foundation upon which we felt united and safe. When I heard the sad news on Thursday of her passing, it was suddenly like being at sea, without anchor.
"I always knew how important her role was, but the moment I realised she wasn’t there anymore, I really felt her loss. How lucky we were to have had her for over 70 years and for that, we will be eternally grateful. We have seen an outpouring of love for Her Majesty across not only the United Kingdom but across the entire world. I took my three children to Buckingham Palace to lay cards and flowers, just to help them and myself to understand, process and pay our respects."
She added with pictures alongside her visit to Buckingham Palace with her children: "So now a new chapter begins. King Charles III takes to the throne, and listening to his first address to the nation, I’m filled with hope and feel settled once again. For a lot of us, The Queen’s passing will remind us of loss within our own lives and we will all experience this differently and mark this occasion in our own way."
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