Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away at the age of 99.
The Royal family broke the news on their official Twitter handle.
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. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” the official statement reads.
“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss,” read a statement by the Royal Family.
Prince Philip, was the longest-serving consort of any British monarch. He had not been keeping well since March, 2021 and was also hospitalised at the private King Edward VII Hospital in London after feeling ill with an ailment.
A former naval officer renowned for his sometimes brusque manner and humour, Philip married Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became queen.
He played a key role in modernising the monarchy in the post-World War Two period, and behind the walls of Buckingham Palace being the one key figure the queen could turn to and trust.
"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years," Elizabeth said in a rare personal tribute to Philip made in a speech marking their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997.
Philip had stepped down from official engagements in August 2017 after completing more than 22,000 solo events and thousands more alongside the Queen.
The Greek Prince Philip has had several stays in hospital over the last decade, including treatment for an infection in 2017 and hip replacement surgery. He was previously admitted to hospital at the end of 2019. The Duke was due to turn 100 in June this year.
(With agency inputs)
