Elderly South African royalist on death of prince

An elderly South African fan of the British royals offered his condolences to the widowed Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday.

Speaking in Cape Town, 87-year-old Tahir Levy recalled the moment he saw the monarch during her visit to the country, more than 70 years ago.

Then-Princess Elizabeth was accompanying her family in 1947 during a royal tour of South Africa.

Levy managed to take shoot some photographs of the royals during the Grande Parade - and years later he sent two of them on to Buckingham Palace.

Talking to The Associated Press on Saturday, the retired community worker proudly showed a letter he received from the palace, thanking him for the gesture.

Levy says he has been an admirer of the queen and her family, ever since seeing her in 1947.

Soon after she returned from South Africa, the then-princess married Philip, whose death at age 99 was announced on Friday.

Levy said the news of Philip's passing saddened him and offered his condolences to the queen and her family.

"Hopefully she'll get through it, she'll have pain, she's a human being, she's got feelings like any human being," he added.