The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Farewell to the royal ‘rock’
● Duke dies aged 99 ● 16-page commemorative supplement
The Queen is grieving for her beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who has died aged 99. Buckingham Palace announced Philip’s death just after midday yesterday issuing a statement that spoke about how the royal family joined with people across the globe “mourning his loss”.
A statement said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty 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.
“The royal family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was one of the first national figures to pay tribute to the duke.
He said: “He was an environmentalist and a champion of the natural world long before it was fashionable.
“With his Duke of Edinburgh Awards 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. We remember the duke for all of this and above all for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen.
“Not just as her consort, by her side every day of her reign, but as her husband, her ‘strength and stay’, of more than 70 years. And it is to Her Majesty, and her family, that our nation’s thoughts must turn today.
“Because they have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father, grandfather and, in recent years, great-grandfather.”
Tributes also flooded in from around the world, including from Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, Irish premier Micheal Martin and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
European royal families remembered Philip as a “great friend” who “never ceased to leave an unforgettable impression”, with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden hailing the duke as “an inspiration to us all”.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said Philip was an “outstanding example of Christian service”.
Members of the public
have also started placing floral tributes at Buckingham Palace and outside Windsor Castle.
Parliament will be recalled from its Easter recess on Monday, a day earlier than its scheduled return.
The death of the duke comes in the midst of the worst public health crisis for generations as the UK and countries around the globe reel from the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
It has also taken place in the aftermath of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell Oprah interview which left the monarchy in crisis after Meghan accused an unnamed royal of racism and the institution of failing to help her when she was suicidal.
Philip had returned to Windsor Castle on March 16 to be reunited with the Queen after spending a month in hospital.
He initially received care for an infection but then underwent heart surgery for a pre-existing condition.
The duke had looked gaunt as he was driven away from King Edward VII’s Hospital in London.
Philip – father to the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex – was just two months from his 100th birthday in June.
He spent much of the Covid-19 crisis staying with the Queen at Windsor in HMS Bubble – the nickname given to the couple’s reduced household of staff during lockdown.
Philip briefly stepped out of retirement in July 2020 when he carried out a rare official public engagement at Windsor.
The duke looked in fine form as he made his way down the steps to the Castle’s quadrangle for a socially distanced ceremony to hand over his Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles role to the Duchess of Cornwall, who was almost 100 miles away at Highgrove.
In April 2020, the duke released his first major statement since his retirement, praising key workers including refuse and postal staff, for keeping essential services running.
He was also pictured with the monarch at the Berkshire castle to mark his 99th birthday on June 10 and at the private lockdown wedding of his granddaughter Princess Beatrice on July 17. Politicians pay tribute as election campaign put on hold, Pages 12-13