Prince Philip dies at 99, world leaders mourn

0

Britain’s Prince Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for more than seven decades and the longest-serving consort in British history, died on Friday.
He was 99.

Buckingham Palace said the prince, who is also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, died in the morning at Windsor Castle.

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

“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

Philip recently had a month-long spell in hospital and was recovering at the castle, some 30 kilometres west of London.

He was taken to London’s King Edward VII Hospital on February 16 as “a precautionary measure” for an undisclosed infection and was expected to remain there “for a few days of observation and rest,” the palace said at the time.

His illness was not related to the coronavirus.

He was then moved to a new hospital in London, St Bartholomew’s, where doctors performed testing and performed an operation on him for a pre-existing heart condition.

The prince was discharged on March 16.

Tributes began pouring in for the duke after the news about his death was announced.

First Minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, published a tweet which said: “I am saddened by the news that the Duke of Edinburgh has died. I send my personal and deepest condolences … to Her Majesty The Queen and her family.”

Nicholas Soames, the grandson of wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, tweeted: “The death of Prince Philip marks the passing of a truly remarkable man who lived a life of impeccable and dedicated service to his Queen and Country.”

Philip was born into Greek and Danish royal families in 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu.

His family left Greece when Philip was one-year-old after the end of the Greco-Turkish War.

He spent his childhood in France and Germany, and then later moved to Britain.

Philip joined the Navy in 1939, during which time he met the then Princess Elizabeth.

The pair began writing to each other and then married in 1947, prior to her ascension to the throne in 1952.

He renounced his Greek royal title, allowing him to become a British citizen.

Philip was also given the title His Royal Highness and named as the Duke of Edinburgh by the Queen’s father, King George VI, in respect of their marriage.

Philip retired from active naval service in 1951 and was made a British prince in 1957. Since then, he had been the queen’s consort, where he supported the Queen in her role as the reigning monarch and also invested his time in supporting conservation and engineering organisations.

He was a patron, president, or member of more than 750 organisations.

He retired from public duties in 2017, meaning while he is still a member of the organisations, he no longer attended public engagements.

The couple had four children together – Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex – eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, expressed his condolences over the passing of Prince Philip.

“I join with the rest of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in mourning the loss of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and give thanks to God for his extraordinary life of dedicated service,” the archbishop said.

“Prince Philip continually demonstrated his unfailing support and unstinting loyalty to Her Majesty The Queen for 73 years,” he added.

On his personal encounters with the prince, Welby said: “On the occasions when I met him, I was always struck by his obvious joy at life, his enquiring mind and his ability to communicate to people from every background and walk of life.

“He was a master at putting people at their ease and making them feel special.”

Prince Philip had died Friday morning at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace announced.

Leaders of Britain’s devolved nations also paid tribute to Prince Philip.

The British prime minister paid tribute to Prince Philip, saying Britain will “give thanks, as a nation and a Kingdom” to his “extraordinary life and work.”

“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,” Boris Johnson said in a statement.

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

“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.

“We mourn today with Her Majesty The Queen and we offer our condolences to her and to all her family.”

Ireland’s prime minister says he is “saddened” to hear of Prince Philip’s death.

“Saddened to hear of the death of HRH Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh,” Micheal Martin tweeted on Friday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Queen Elizabeth and the people of the United Kingdom at this time.”

Mark Drakeford, the first minister for Wales, said he was “incredibly sad” to hear of the duke of Edinburgh’s death.

“He served the crown with selfless devotion and will be sorely missed by the people of Wales and the many organisations he supported,” Drakeford tweeted.

Prince Philip dies at 99, world leaders mourn
Prince Philip

Arlene Foster, first minister of Northern Ireland, said she felt a “deep sadness,” which she knew would be shared in the region and in countries across the globe.

“He had a profound and positive impact on thousands of our young people, who found their purpose, passion and place in the world through [his youth award programme] the Duke of Edinburgh Award,” she said.

The deputy first minister of the region, Michelle O’Neill, tweeted: “I wish to extend my sincere condolences to Queen Elizabeth and her family on the death of her husband Prince Phillip.”

London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his condolences about the death of Prince Philip.

“Today, we mourn the loss of an extraordinary man, who devoted his life to public service and helping others,” Khan wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

“I extend my deepest sympathies to her majesty the queen and the entire royal family at this sad time,” he added.

“As mayor, I know I can say on behalf of all Londoners that we will forever be grateful for the contribution his royal highness made to our city and our country.

“This includes his charitable work and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which has helped so many young people reach their potential.”

The thoughts of Canadians are with Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family as they mourn the passing of Prince Philip on Friday, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“A man of great purpose and conviction, who was motivated by a sense of duty to others, Prince Philip contributed so much to the social fabric of our country – and the world,” Trudeau tweeted Friday.

Prince Philip maintained a special relationship with Canada and particularly with Canadian Armed Forces, Trudeau said in a statement.

In 2011, he was named honorary general of the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as honorary admiral of the Royal Canadian Navy.

He was also the patron of more than 40 organisations in Canada, including the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute and the Outward Bound Trust, Trudeau added.

During his last visit to Canada in April 2013, Prince Philip was named the first-ever Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada by the Governor-General of Canada, Trudeau said.

“A family has lost a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

“The thoughts of Canadians are with Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the Royal Family as they mourn such a significant loss,” Trudeau said.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has described the late Prince Philip as a person who contributed to reconciliation between Britain and Germany.

“We, Germans, mourn a winning personality who made an important contribution to the reconciliation of our nations after the horrors of World War II,” the German head of state said.

Steinmeier said he had had the privilege of experiencing the royal’s “astute humour” and had taken part in meetings with him in London and Berlin with “great pleasure.”

Addressing Queen Elizabeth II, Steinmeier said: “I would like to express my deepest condolences to you, the royal family and your people, also on behalf of my compatriots.

“Prince Philip was popular and highly esteemed in Germany.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.