From the BBC:
“Prince
Philip has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace announces”
Prince Philip,
Queen Elizabeth II's husband, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace has
announced. A statement issued by the palace just after midday spoke of the
Queen's "deep sorrow" following his death at Windsor Castle on Friday
morning. The Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving royal consort in British
history, was at the Queen's side for more than her six decades of reign. Boris
Johnson said he "inspired the lives of countless young people". "It
is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her
beloved husband," the palace said. "The Royal Family join with people
around the world in mourning his loss." Speaking at Downing Street, the
prime minister said that the duke had "earned the affection of generations
here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the
world". Meanwhile, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said he
"consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and, in so
doing, provided an outstanding example of Christian service". The flag at
Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast and a notice was posted on the gates
following the announcement of the duke's death. People placed floral tributes
outside the palace, while hundreds visited Windsor Castle to pay their
respects. However, the government urged the public not to gather or leave
tributes at royal residences amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Royal
Family has asked people to consider making a donation to a charity instead of
leaving flowers in memory of the duke, and an online book of condolence has
been launched on the official royal website for those who wish to send
messages. A message on the website of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's
non-profit organisation Archewell paid tribute to the "loving memory"
of the Duke of Edinburgh, saying: "Thank you for your service... you will
be greatly missed." In further tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey will
toll its tenor bell once every 60 seconds, 99 times, from 18:00 BST on Friday
evening. The BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said it was "a
moment of sadness" for the country and "most particularly, for the
Queen losing her husband of 73 years - a bigger span of years than most of us
can imagine". He said Prince Philip had made "a huge contribution to
the success of the Queen's reign", describing the duke as "utterly
loyal in his belief in the importance of the role that the Queen was fulfilling
- and in his duty to support her". "It was the importance of the
solidity of that relationship, of their marriage, that was so crucial to the
success of her reign," he added. Mourners stand outside Buckingham Palace
after it was announced that Britain"s Prince Philip, husband of Queen
Elizabeth, has died at the age of 99, in London A bank of photographers and
cameramen were lined up around the growing number of tributes at Buckingham
Palace on Friday afternoon, said BBC News reporter Marie Jackson. Rhea Varma,
from Pimlico, pulled up to the gates on her bike to lay flowers and a note
saying Rest in Peace Duke. She said the news was "super sad". To her,
the duke was "the kind of stability that's so old-fashioned it's difficult
to comprehend. He was a rock who brought integrity." Adam Wharton-Ward,
36, also arrived to leave lilies by the palace gates. He is visiting London
from his home in France but was so moved by the news, he wanted to "rally
round" for the Queen's sake. "It's so sad. He's been with her for 73
years. If it wasn't for him who knows if she would have got through it,"
he said. The duke's appeal, he added, was that he was "almost normal with
his gaffes". "Now that normality has gone," he said. The prince
married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen. In
March, the duke left King Edward VII's hospital in central London after a
month-long stay for treatment. He was admitted on 16 February after feeling
unwell, and later underwent a procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at
another London hospital - St Bartholomew's.
'Quiet reflection' in Windsor
This is a town that's seen many royal events over
the years, both happy and sad. Today, it is one of quiet reflection. The
sun has been shining down on Windsor Castle this afternoon, but the mood
outside is understandably sombre. As locals heard of the duke's death
they turned up to leave flowers outside the entrance. One young boy,
Oscar, came with his mother to lay flowers. He left a card which read:
"Your Majesty, so sorry about hearing about your amazing husband."
"It's really sad," another woman told us. "I just wanted him
to get to 100," she said. The flag here hasn't been lowered to
half-mast. That's because it's the Royal Standard which means the Queen is in
residence. It's the one flag which remains at full mast. It was here
that the duke spent his last weeks after being discharged from hospital. Inside
the castle the Queen, now a widow, is in mourning for her husband who has
always been by her side. Prince Philip's funeral will take place at St
George's Chapel, Windsor - but the arrangements have been amended in light of
the coronavirus pandemic, the College of Arms said in a statement. It
added that the funeral will not be a state funeral, and the duke will not lie
in state. The duke will, however, lie at rest in Windsor Castle ahead of
a funeral, the College of Arms said, "in line with custom and with His
Royal Highness's wishes". The statement said: "The funeral
arrangements have been revised in view of the prevailing circumstances arising
from the Covid-19 pandemic and it is regretfully requested that members of the
public do not attempt to attend or participate in any of the events that make
up the funeral." Buckingham Palace will confirm the detailed
arrangements for the funeral on the Royal website, it added. All UK
government buildings have been told to fly an official flags at half-mast in
tribute to the duke until 08:00 BST on the day after the funeral.
Prince Philip
and the Queen had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Their first son, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was born in 1948,
followed by his sister, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in 1950, the Duke of
York, Prince Andrew, in 1960 and the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, in 1964. Prince
Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on 10 June 1921. His father was
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, a younger son of King George I of the
Hellenes. His mother, Princess Alice, was a daughter of Prince Louis of
Battenberg and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Politicians across the
UK were united in mourning following the announcement of the duke's death. Labour
leader Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had "lost an extraordinary public
servant", while Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said his
"long contribution to public life in Scotland will leave a profound mark
on its people". Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said the duke
"served the crown with selfless devotion and generosity of spirit". Parliament
will honour the duke on Monday, with the House of Commons sitting at 14:30 BST
for tributes following his death.Parties have also suspended their campaigning
elections on 6 May, which will see voters head to the polls for council and
mayoral positions in England, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth leaders led international reaction to the duke's death. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison tweeted that the duke "embodied a generation that we will never see again", while Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau described Philip as a "man of great purpose and conviction". And Indian prime minister Narendra Modi recalled the duke for his "distinguished career in the military" and work "at the forefront of many community service initiatives". US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden joined other world leaders in sending their "deepest condolences" to the Queen, the Royal Family and the people of the UK. In a statement, they said the duke "gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family". "His legacy will live on, not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavours he shipped," it said. The palace said further announcements would be made "in due course".
^ This is sad
(and I say that as both a Canadian/Commonwealth Citizen and an American.) My
Mom and I went to a special, online tickets-only exhibit inside Buckingham
Palace in August 2007 (we flew from Boston to London and had the whole day
before our flight to Kuwait that night) for the 60th Wedding Anniversary of
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It was a nice insider look of both
Buckingham Palace and the Royal Couple. ^
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