Western Morning News (Saturday)
Duke of Edinburgh
1921-2021
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”.
The Palace said in a statement: “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.”
The announcement of Philip’s death reflected tradition and modern times with the statement tweeted on the royal family account and also a framed notice attached to the railings of Buckingham Palace for a short period.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was one of the first national figures to pay tribute to the duke – the longestserving consort in British history.
Speaking from a podium in Downing Street, Mr Johnson 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.”
Tributes also flooded in from across Britain and around the world.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said Philip was an “outstanding example of Christian service.”
Members of the public also started placing floral tributes at the front gates of Buckingham Palace and outside Windsor Castle.
The Cabinet was due to meet to pay tribute to the duke and 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 – his longest ever stay.
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 central London, having been pushed in a wheelchair to the waiting car.
Philip – father to the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex – was just two months away from his 100th birthday on June 10.
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 devoted staff during lockdown.
Philip briefly stepped out of retirement in July 2020 when he carried out a rare official public engagement at Windsor of great significance here in the Westcountry.
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. The Rifles recruits heavily in the Westcountry.
He showed he had lost none of his mischievous sense of humour when he joked with one of the soldiers about their fitness levels.
In April 2020, the duke praised key workers including refuse and postal staff, for keeping essential services running during the pandemic. He was pictured with the monarch at Windsor to mark his 99th birthday on June 10 last year.