Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Has Passed Away At Age 99

It was revealed by the Royal Family’s official Twitter account that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has passed away Friday morning. They released a brief statement, which will surely be just the beginning of tributes that will be paid to the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Has Died

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” it began. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family joins people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course.”

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, on June 10, 1921. Educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Philip first met his future spouse at the wedding of his cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Elizabeth’s uncle, Prince George, the Duke of Kent, in 1934. Elizabeth was just 8 years old and Philip was 13.

At the age of 18, Philip joined the Royal Navy and the future couple met again at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 1939 when Elizabeth was 13 and began conversing through a series of letters. Elizabeth was smitten. And so began the longest romance, and marriage, of any British sovereign, including the coupling of George III and Queen Charlotte.

Prince Philip excelled in the Royal Navy in World World II, serving with honor in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets. After the war, the couple’s feelings were still strong, but in post-war Britain, there were worries about Philip’s Danish and German connections. Worries that he would not be accepted into the British Royal Family. Philip sacrificed his Greek and Danish origins, and became a naturalized British citizen, taking on the surname of his maternal grandparents, Mountbatten.

In 1946, Philip officially asked for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. King George VI agreed on the condition that they wait until the eve of Elizabeth’s 21st birthday to make the announcement, taking her youth into consideration. The two were married on November 20, 1947, in the Westminister Abbey. Philip was given the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.

After the wedding, Philip was stationed, while still positioned in the Royal Navy, on the island of Malta through 1951. Elizabeth was able to enjoy a quiet royal life as a naval wife. She gave birth to Prince Charles on November 14, 1948. Three more children followed; Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.

But in 1952, Elizabeth, who was just a mere 25 years old, was called to the throne, after King George VI’s death. Philip gave up the military life, and the family took up residence in Buckingham Palace. He often felt adrift outside his Naval Service, putting all his efforts into organizations that intrigued him.

The Prince was a patron of more than 800 organizations, with a focus on sports (his favorite), industry, environment, and education. He was president of the National Playing Fields Association for 64 years before Prince William took the reigns in 2013. He served as the UK president of the World Wildlife Fund from 1961 – 1982. He was the International Equestrian Federation president from 1964 – 1986.

He served as Chancellor of the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Salford, and Wales. The British Heart Foundation honored Philip for his patronage of 55 years in 2017. Yet being second to the Queen wasn’t always easy. Philip’s official biographer, Gyles Brandreth, asked him what his thoughts were on how he was perceived, and he modestly summed up, “A refugee husband, I suppose.” But the Queen never underestimated his impact on their relationship and on the monarchy for all these years. On their golden anniversary in 1997, she revealed, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.”

On February 16, 2021, the Prince was admitted into King Edwards VII’s hospital for not feeling well. On the 23rd, he began treatment for an infection. On March 1, 2021, he was transferred to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital for further treatment. Philip underwent heart surgery on March 3 and transferred back to King Edwards VII’s Hospital for observation.

Philip leaves behind his children, Charles, Andrew, Anne, and Edward, eight grandchildren which includes Prince William of Wales, Prince Harry of Wales, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severns. Great-grandchildren include George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, and the latest addition, Princess Eugenie’s new baby boy, August Philip.

In Britain, and around the world, one of the things Prince Philip will be remembered for is his often blunt and off-the-cuff remarks that made many swell with pride or smile with humor, such as, “When a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.” On marriage to Elizabeth, he was a solid backbone to an early inheritance of responsibility.

By today’s standards, he may have very well been considered politically incorrect. Yet, as a man, Philip would be considered a solid man, trying to find a bridge between generations — often trying to find the bridge within himself. Entertainment Hub sends condolences to Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family during this very difficult time.