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Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace has announced. A statement from Buckingham Palace said: ‘It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ‘His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.’ Other members of the Royal Family have been informed of his death and it is expected that flags across the country will be lowered to half mast. Mourners have already begun laying flowers outside Buckingham palace, where Royal household staff have placed a framed plaque announcing the Duke’s death. Police on horses moved people along as small crowds stopped to read the sign.
Buckingham Palace said further announcements will be made in due course, adding: ‘The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.’ The Duke, the longest-reigning consort in British history, had recently been treated at King Edward VII Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital. He initially received care for an infection but then underwent heart surgery for a pre-existing condition. He returned to Windsor Castle on March 16 to be reunited with the Queen after spending a month in the hospitals – his longest ever stay. Philip – father to the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex – was just two months away from his 100th birthday in June. Over the coming days funeral arrangements will be made for the royal, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years.
He previously said that he didn’t want a fuss over his funeral, adding that he didn’t want to lie-in-state at Westminster Hall. He will be buried in Frogmore Gardens in the grounds of Windsor Castle where the Queen liked to walk her corgis. For the latest updates on Prince Philip’s death click here. Queen Elizabeth is now in an eight-day period of mourning following his death. It comes months after she marked her 73rd wedding anniversary with the duke just a few months ago, on November 20 last year. Philip’s last official photo shows him sharing a touching moment with the Queen as the pair look down at a homemade anniversary card given to them by great grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Giving a statement outside No 10, Boris Johnson compared the Queen’s husband to an ‘expert carriage driver’ who ‘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 added: ‘He was an environmentalist and a champion of the natural world long before it was fashionable. ‘With his Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, he shaped and inspired the lives of countless young people and at literally tens of thousands of events he fostered their hopes and encouraged their ambitions.’ He said the Duke should be remembered above all ‘for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen.’ The Prime Minister added: ‘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 should ever know, and I am sure that estimate is correct. ‘So we mourn today with Her Majesty the Queen and we offer our condolences to her and to all her family and we give thanks as a nation and a kingdom to the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.’ Downing Street makes statement following death of Prince Philip Play Video Loaded: 0% 0:00Progress: 0% PlayMute Current Time0:00 / Duration Time2:55 Fullscreen
The news comes on the 16th wedding anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. Many Royal Family members swapped their smiling social media profile pictures to their official coats of arms as a mark of respect after Prince Philip’s death was announced. Senior political and religious figures have also paid tribute to the ‘much-loved’ duke. Prince Philip, who officially retired from royal duties last May, is remembered for a lifetime of service and dedication after rising from exile from Greece as a young child. Over the years he carried out more than 22,000 solo engagements and gave more than 5,400 speeches, as well as taking part in thousands of other engagements with the Queen and committing himself to innumerable obligations behind the scenes. The duke had a profound effect on the development of the British monarchy and was a moderniser of The Firm. As a younger man he was a good shot, a first-class polo player, accomplished sailor, enthusiastic cricketer and international four-in-hand carriage driver. He dedicated himself to national life, and when he turned 90 was still associated with more than 780 charities. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: ‘The United Kingdom has lost an extraordinary public servant in Prince Philip. Prince Philip dedicated his life to our country – from a distinguished career in the Royal Navy during the Second World War to his decades of service as the Duke of Edinburgh.’
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘I am saddened by news that the Duke of Edinburgh has died. I send my personal and deepest condolences – and those of @scotgov and the people of Scotland – to Her Majesty The Queen and her family.’ Leaders across Europe and the Commonwealth also paid tribute to the Duke. Australian PM Scott Morrison said: ‘Australians send our love and deepest condolences to her Majesty and all the Royal family. The Commonwealth family joins together in sorrow and thanksgiving for the loss and life of Prince Philip. God bless from all here in Australia.’ Religious leaders also paid respect to the Queen’s late husband. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, 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.’ The Queen and Prince Philip, then Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, announced their engagement at Buckingham Palace (Picture: Getty) Floral tributes are seen outside Buckingham Palace (Picture: Getty)
The SNP, Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens have all said they will cease campaigning for the local elections. Downing Street said the cabinet will meet at 5pm today to pay their respects. Amid the heartfelt tributes, Sky Sports News has been criticised for a ‘strange’ tweet which encouraged people to watch its channel in the wake of Prince Philip’s death. The broadcaster used its official account – which has 8.6million followers – to signpost people to tune into Sky News for an ‘important breaking story’ – without revealing any more details. Critics accused Sky of treating the news ‘like a transfer deadline day rumour’ while some called it ‘clickbait.’
As well as personal tributes, incredible pictures capture Prince Philip’s extraordinary life of duty and devotion. Prince Philip met the Queen – then Princess Elizabeth – in 1934, and has been at her side ever since. They started corresponding five years later when he was 18 and she was 13 before their relationship began and he married her on November 20, 1947. He was born in Greece on June 10, 1921, into both the Greek and Danish royal families. His mother Princess Alice of Battenberg was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and was born in Windsor Castle while his father was Prince Andrew of Greece.
When he was 18 months old, the Greek royal family was overthrown and they entered a life of exile. The Duke was educated in France, Germany and the UK but by all accounts it was a lonely childhood for the young Prince of Greece. His parents’ marriage disintegrated and his mother left to join a religious order. He was passed between relatives and stability only came when he joined the Royal Navy in 1939 aged 18. He saw active service in the Second World War, serving with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets. It was around that time that the teenager began corresponding with the 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, who he first met when she was eight years old. After the war, Philip asked King George VI for her hand in marriage but before that could happen, he had to renounce his Greek and Danish royal titles and become a naturalised Briton. He adopted the surname Mountbatten from his maternal grandparents and until his death was officially known as Philip Mountbatten-Windsor.