Kate Middleton says son Louis is struggling to understand the Queen's death

Kate, Princess of Wales, has revealed that her youngest son Louis is struggling to make sense of Queen Elizabeth II's passing.

As the nation mourns the late monarch's death today, William and Kate have been guiding their three young children, George, nine, Charlotte, seven, and Louis, four, through the unprecedented time.

The night before Queen Elizabeth's funeral, King Charles III hosted a reception for Commonwealth dignitaries - during which, Kate spoke to Australia's Governor-General David Hurley about how her children were coping with it all.

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While Will and Kate's eldest son Prince George is 'sort of now realising how important his great-grandmother was and what is going on', his little brother Louis is still at a bit of a loss.

"The younger one is now asking questions like, 'do you think we can still play these games when we go to Balmoral?' and things like that, because she's not going to be there?," said Mr Hurley, MailOnline reports.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have also been speaking to well-wishers at Windsor Castle about how their family are coping with the loss.

Not long after news first broke of Queen Elizabeth's passing, William and Kate told one well-wisher that they were trying to keep things 'as normal as possible' for their three children.

Recalling her brief encounter with Prince William, teacher Elaine Gee, 58, revealed: "He spoke about George, Charlotte and Louis, saying that they were trying to keep some sense of continuity for them at school and keep things as normal as possible."

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Elsewhere, Kate took a moment to speak to Banita Ranow, 28, about little Louis' reaction.

The Princess of Wales revealed the first words that the four-year-old Prince said after being told the sad news were: "At least Grannie is with Great Grandpa now."

While Prince George and Princess Charlotte were seen at the Queen's funeral today (Monday 19 September), Prince Louis was not in attendance.

Before the state funeral service took place at 11am, a bell tolled 96 times, reflecting each year of Queen Elizabeth’s life.

The monumental service paid tribute to the late monarch's reign and her lifetime of service as head of state, nation, and Commonwealth.

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King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry and numerous other members of the family were in attendance, while leaders such as Liz Truss, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US President Joe Biden also made an appearance.

Following the service at Westminster Abbey, the Queen will be buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.