Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh Dies, Aged 99

Image of POPSUGAR Team
by POPSUGAR Team

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has passed away at the age of 99. The news was announced by Buckingham Palace in a statement.

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh,” the statement read.

“His Royal Highness passes away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The royal family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.“

No cause of death has been announced, however, it was noted that “further announcements” would be made in “due course”.

At midday (GMT+1), the flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast with the news announced shortly after.

Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII’s hospital in central London on February 16 after feeling unwell and later underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at another London hospital – St Bartholomew’s. A month later, on March 16, the Duke of Edinburgh returned to Windsor Castle in “good spirits”.

The royal retired from his official duties on 2 August 2017, aged 96, having served as a royal for seven decades, during which he completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952 when Elizabeth was crowned Queen.

Prince Philip married Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, with whom he had four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Having been created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich before his wedding to then-Princess Elizabeth, Philip was officially crowned a British prince in 1957.

Tributes

The Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley, released a statement calling this “a sad and historic day.”

“As we mourn, we should also reflect and give thanks for His Royal Highness’ lifetime of service, devotion and commitment.

“Service beginning with his time in the Royal Navy – including during the Second World War when he was mentioned in dispatches while a young sub-Lieutenant on-board HMS VALIANT.

“Devotion to Her Majesty The Queen, whom he married in 1947 and lovingly supported throughout his life, and to the entire Royal Family.

“And commitment to the Commonwealth and the many hundreds of organisations – including many here in Australia — of which he served as Patron and for whom he was a passionate advocate and supporter.

“His Royal Highness visited Australia 21 times over the years, including on each of Her Majesty’s State Visits.

“He was a popular, engaged and welcome visitor to our shores.

“His impact was profound – not least on the more than 775,000 young Australians who have participated in The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award since it began here in 1959.

“Many Australians will have a personal memory of His Royal Highness and many around the world will, in coming days, reflect on his remarkable life and legacy.

“As we reflect and remember, we think especially of Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family, who have lost a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

“On behalf of the Australian people, I extend our deepest condolences to Her Majesty and family, the people of the Commonwealth and to all those who share in this sad news.

“We give thanks for the Duke of Edinburgh’s service, his loyal and loving devotion to Her Majesty and his commitment to Australia, The Commonwealth and all her people.

“May he Rest in Peace.”

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, also released a statement via Twitter.

“For nearly 80 years, Prince Philip served his Crown, his country and the Commonwealth,” Prime Minister Morrison wrote.

“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was, in the words of Her Majesty, her “strength and stay”. He embodied a generation that we will never see again.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also addressed the British press, announcing the news, while paying tribute to the Duke.

“It was with great sadness that, a short time ago, I received word from Buckingham Palace that His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh has passed away at the age of 99. 

Prince Philip earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world.

He was the longest-serving consort in history, one of the last surviving people in this country to have served in the Second World War, at Cape Mattapan, where he was mentioned in dispatches for bravery, and in the invasion of Sicily, where he saved his ship by his quick thinking. 

From this conflict, he took an ethic of service that he applied throughout the unprecedented changes of the postwar era. Like the expert carriage driver that he was, he helped to steer the royal family, and the monarchy, so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.

He was an environmentalist, and a champion of the natural world long before it was fashionable. With his Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, he shaped and inspired the lives of countless young people, and at literally tens of thousands of events, he fostered their hope and encouraged their ambitions.

We remember the Duke for all of this and, above all, for his steadfast support for Her Majesty The Queen. Not just as her consort, by her side every day of her reign, but as her husband, her strength and stay, of more than 70 years.

It is to Her Majesty and her family that our nation’s thoughts must turn today. Because they have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father, grandfather and, in recent years, great-grandfather. 

Speaking on their golden wedding anniversary, Her Majesty said that our country owed her husband a greater debt than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know. And I’m sure that estimate is correct. So we mourn today with Her Majesty The Queen.

We offer our condolences to her and to all her family, and we give thanks, as a nation and a kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”

The royal family themselves have paid homage to their patriach by updating their official Twitter accounts with a stunning black and white photograph.

royal family
Related Posts
Latest Family
The End.

The next story, coming up!