Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II and patriarch of the British Royal Family, passed away at Windsor Castle early Friday morning just two months short of his 100th birthday.
The Royal Family announced the prince’s death on Twitter: “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.”
The Royal Family’s webpage issued a statement on the prince’s death along with an overview of his life and accomplishments.
Born in Greece in 1921, Prince Philip was a prince of Greece and Denmark and was in the line of succession to both thrones. Prince Philip’s family was forced to live elsewhere in Europe at the time of the Greco-Turkish War.
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Eventually Philip adopted the surname Mountbatten — his maternal grandfather’s surname — and spent his youth being educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In 1939, Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy, where he served with distinction as a lieutenant in World War II.
Prince Philip met Princess Elizabeth when she was 13 years old. The two corresponded throughout the second World War. In 1946, Philip asked then King George VI for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage and the pair was married in 1947. Elizabeth and Philip were third cousins through Queen Victoria and second cousins once removed through King Christian the IX of Denmark.
Through their 73 years of marriage, Prince Philip was reportedly a constant source of love and encouragement to the queen. Prince Philip made more than 22,000 solo public engagements as a member of the Royal Family. He retired from public duties in 2017, although he was still at his wife’s side during the weddings of his grandchildren Prince Harry in 2018 and Princess Eugenie in 2020.
In her Diamond Jubilee address in 2012, the queen addressed her husband’s quiet, behind-the-scenes role during her reign: “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson released a statement referencing Prince Philip’s “extraordinary life,” as well as his devotion to his wife the queen and the family. “We are a kingdom united both in grief and gratitude; grief at Prince Philip’s passing, and gratitude for his decades of selfless service to the country,” Johnson wrote.
Condolence messages are pouring in from all over the globe. President Joe Biden sent condolences on behalf of the United States: “On behalf of all the people of the United States, we send our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the entire Royal Family, and all the people of the United Kingdom on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.”
“Over the course of his 99-year life, he saw our world change dramatically and repeatedly. From his service during World War II, to his 73 years alongside the Queen, and his entire life in the public eye — Prince Philip gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family.”
Prince Philip had one thing in common with the current president of the United States. Both have had a tendency to make egregious gaffes when speaking. Recently, a remark Prince Philip made back in 1988 when speaking to a German news agency came back to haunt him, considering the coronavirus world we now live in. “In the event that I am reincarnated,” Prince Philip said. “I would like to return as a deadly virus, to contribute something to solving overpopulation.”
That was a biggie, but it was far from the only gaffe the outspoken prince made during his life in public service. In 1995, the prince asked a Scottish driving instructor, “How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?”
In 2003, speaking to the president of Nigeria, who was wearing his national dress at the time, the Prince remarked, “You look like you’re ready for bed.”
After speaking to a British student in China in 1986, the Prince said, “If you stay here much longer, you will go home with slitty eyes.” But when you’ve made over 22,000 appearances on behalf of your family and country, perhaps you should be allowed a few goof-ups.
Funeral arrangements are currently pending with the Royal Family not wishing to host any large events due to COVID-19.
