For the British people, who mythologize their role in World War II, the death of Prince Philip on Friday marks more than the loss of a figure who has been at the center of British public life for three quarters of a century.
It means changing the guard within the monarchy and the wider nation of the generation that lived through that conflict and whose arc of life encompassed the imperial zenith of Britain, as well as the loss of the empire and a declining global role.
Queen Elizabeth, the prince’s wife, remains on the throne, approaching her 95th birthday and seems to be in good health. But Philip’s death destroys a prominent link to what many Britons consider a heroic past and has given the monarchy and the country a chance to reflect on the future.
Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, is a different character from his direct and powerful father. He takes over the family business and, increasingly, moves into roles that have fallen to his mother so far. The country, which has just left the European Union, is finding its place on the world stage.
In some respects, Prince Philip, who was 99 years old, was a remnant of an earlier era that preceded World War II, one in which Europe’s royal families married. Born a prince of Greece and Denmark, he was, like his wife, a descendant of Queen Victoria.