The death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been announced.
News broke shortly after midday on Friday, April 9.
On February 16, 2021, the Duke, 99, was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London as a “precautionary measure”.
And today (April 9) The Queen released a statement saying her husband had “passed away peacefully” this morning.
What did Buckingham Palace say about Prince Philip?
A statement from Buckingham Palace read: “It is with deep sorrow that HM the Queen announces 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.
“Further announcements will be made in due course.”
Prince Philip dead: Queen’s tribute to ‘beloved’ husband
Born in Greece in June 1921, his family – which included members of the Greek and Danish royal families – were exiled from the country when he was a child.
He joined the Royal Navy aged 18 and served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets during the Second World War.
Philip became engaged to Princess Elizabeth in July 1947.
They married four months later on November 20 at Westminster Abbey.
They had first met in 1939 when Philip escorted King George VI’s daughters during a royal visit to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.
Prince Philip and the Queen’s wedding
The wedding ceremony became watched by over 200 million people across the world on TV and radio.
Their marriage became the longest ever for a British monarch.
An outspoken figure whose comments caused controversy over the years, Philip was praised by the Queen during her Diamond Jubilee speech in 2012 as her “constant strength and guide”.
Philip was the oldest ever male member of the British royal family.
And, the third longest-lived following Princess Alice and his mother-in-law the Queen Mother.
He left military service in 1952, having been promoted to the rank of Commander.
It was Philip who broke the news of her father’s death to the Queen in February 1952.
They were in Kenya as part of a tour of the Commonwealth at the time.
A senior patron or president of nearly 800 organisations, Philip also acted as chairman for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award youth programme.
When did Philip retire from duties?
He also performed duties as the UK president of the World Wildlife Fund, president of the International Equestrian Federation and as chancellor of numerous universities including Cambridge, Edinburgh and Wales.
Philip retired from royal duties on in August 2017 at the age of 96.
He reportedly undertook 22,219 solo royal engagements in 65 years.
A keen carriage driver, Philip continued to drive a car until January 2019 when he was involved in a crash near Sandringham.
He attended hospital following the smash but did not sustain any serious injuries.
Philip’s a father to Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
He also had eight grandchildren – including Prince William – and nine great-grandchildren.
Read more: William and Harry pay tribute to the Queen and Prince Philip on their 72nd wedding anniversary
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