Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, who helped modernize the monarchy and directed the British royal family through a crisis during his seven decades of service, died on Friday at the Windsor Castle. He is 99. As he was officially known, Duke of Edinburgh had been by his wife throughout 69 years, the longest in British history. Over the years, Prince gained a reputation for a difficult and no-no-nonsense attitude and a tendency for occasional errors.
“With his sadness and deep sorrow, Queen announces her husband’s death, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the Palace said in a statement. “Your Majesty died peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in time. The royal family joins people around the world in mourning his loss.”
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The flag in Buckingham Palace and government buildings throughout the UK was lowered to half-mast. Within an hour of the public announcement, people began to lay flowers outside Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. The royal family website was also closed, replaced by Philip’s photos and his death announcement.
Philip, a Greek Prince, married Elizabeth in 1947. He then played a key role that helped the monarchy to adapt to the world that changed in the post-World War period, and behind the main palace walls, he was a key queen figure that the Queen could trust.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay for years,” Elizabeth, 94, said in a rare personal tribute to Philip in a speech marking their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997. “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.”
The College of Arms, the British Heraldic Authority, said there would be no state funeral or lying-in-state, reflecting Philip’s reluctance. “His Royal Highness will lie in Windsor’s palace in front of the funeral in the St George chapel. This is in line with the habit and with the wishes of the Royal Highness,” he said in a statement.
“It is deplorable asking that public members do not try to attend or participate in one of the events that form the funeral.” Philip spent four weeks at the hospital earlier this year to treat infection and had a heart procedure. However, he later returned to Windsor in early March. He died two months before his 100th birthday.
The charm of the Prince and the tendency to tolerate those he considered stupid earned him respect from several Britons. But to others, his stiffness made him look rude and aloof. Besides, Prince Philip was a delight for the newspaper editors who wanted to take wild comments on official shows.
The former Navy officer, who served in the Kingdom Navy during the war and was mentioned in the dispatches for bravery, admitted he found it difficult to hand over the military career he loved and to take a job as monarch’s consort. British Premier Borris Johnson said Philip had helped direct the royal and monarchical families so that they remained “essential for the balance and happiness of our national life”.
