Current affairs

Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passes away at 99!

By alagu, 09 April, 2021
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Royal Family, Boris Johnson

Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away on Friday at the age of 99 in Windsor Castle. The Prince, who was the Duke of Edinburgh, was the longest-serving consort in British History.  He was the Queen's husband for 73 years and after the news of his demise came out, several leaders have been paying tributes and expressing their condolences to the Royal Family. The flags at the National Monuments and important buildings in Britain are being lowered to half-mast to mourn the loss of the departed duke.

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 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle". According to reports, Prince Philip was admitted to a hospital in February for a procedure to treat a pre-existing heart condition. 

After weeks of hospitalization, Philip was discharged from the hospital on March 16 and returned to Windsor Castle. The Duke of Edinburgh married Elizabeth in 1947 before she took over the throne.  Prince Philip had a history of hospitalization previously. He was taken to the hospital over Christmas in 2011 for treatment for a blocked artery. In 2012, he was again admitted to the hospital during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. 

He had undergone treatment for bladder infection and in 2013, he had an exploratory operation on his abdomen. Amid such hospitalizations, Philip was quite active even during his 90s and he had carried out a busy programme of public engagements and expressed his interest in charities. He also had traveled around the country supporting the Queen in royal visits and on state occasions. His active part of life had come to an end in 2017. 

In May 2017, after carrying out more than 20,000 public engagements, then 96-year-old Philip had stepped out from active life and he was getting treatments for his age-related ailments. He was with the Queen for every thick and thin for the past seven decades. After 73 years of marriage, Philip had passed away on Friday at the age of 99 in Windsor Castle. 

The reports say that no officials details have been released yet about the Duke's funeral. It has been reported that Philip will be given a royal ceremonial funeral rather than a state funeral, as per his wish. The Queen will unveil the final plans in the coming days over the royal ceremonial funeral. Several leaders have been paying tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. 

Prince Philip was born in Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece on 10th June 1921. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet at the age of 18 and he had actively served during the Second World War, serving in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. He was born as the Prince of Greece and Denmark and in 1947, he had renounced his royal titles in Greece and Denmark and took on the surname of Mountbatten post which he became a British citizen ahead of his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. 

Their wedding was the first great state occasion after the end of the Second World War. As Elizabeth took over the reign, Philip had stepped down from the Royal Navy to support her in her role as monarch, the Queen of the United Kingdom, and 15 other Commonwealth realms. The royal couple had four children - Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. The Queen has always described Philip as her constant strength. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a statement to pay his tribute to Philip. In his statement, he said, "By any measure, Prince Philip lived an extraordinary life - as a naval hero in the Second World War, as the man who inspired countless young people through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and above all, as Her Majesty The Queen's loyal consort". 

"Our thoughts are with Her Majesty and her family, who have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. 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", the British Prime Minister added. 

 

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