LONDON (Reuters) – Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband and a leading figure in the British royal family for nearly seven decades, has died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
The Duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known, had been with his wife during his 69-year reign, the longest in British history. At that time, he gained a reputation for a tough attitude, without nonsense and a penchant for occasional blunders.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, Her Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the palace said in a statement.
“His Royal Highness died peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Additional announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family joins people around the world in mourning for its loss. ”
A Greek prince, Philip married Elizabeth in 1947. He continued to play a key role in modernizing the monarchy in the post-World War II period, and behind the walls of Buckingham Palace was the only key figure the queen could play. call and trust. .
“It was simply my strength and it has remained all these years,” Elizabeth said in a rare personal tribute to Philip in a speech marking the 50th anniversary of their 1997 wedding.
Philip spent four weeks in hospital earlier this year treating an infection to have a heart procedure, but returned to Windsor in early March.
His charm and inclination to tolerate those he considered insane or psychopathic brought him a position of respect among the British. But to others, his behavior sometimes suddenly made him seem rude and distant. He was delighted with the editors of newspapers eager to acknowledge any lost observations at official events.
The former naval officer admitted that it was difficult for him to give up the military career he loved and to assume the position of consort of the monarch for whom there was no clear constitutional role.
“Like the expert chariot driver, he has helped lead the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an indisputable vital institution for the balance and happiness of our national life,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY
In private, the prince was considered the undisputed head of his family, but the protocol forced the man nicknamed the “second handshake” to spend his public life literally one step behind his wife.
“There was no precedent. If I asked someone “what are you waiting for me to do?”, They all looked naked – they had no idea, no one had much idea, “he said in an interview to turn 90.
After completing over 22,000 solo appearances, Philip retired from public life in August 2017, although after that he occasionally appeared at official engagements.
His last appearance was in July last year, at a military ceremony at Windsor Castle, the royal palace in west London, where he and the monarch lived during the blockade of COVID-19.
The 94-year-old queen came to the throne in 1952 and the couple, who were third cousins, were married at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.
They had four children, Prince Charles, heir to the throne, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward.
They celebrated their 72nd birthday on the same day that Andrew resigned from public duties due to the controversy surrounding his association with the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, one of the many recent crises the family has faced.
QUEEN WITHOUT PHILIP
The death of the queen’s husband and closest confidant will raise questions about whether she could consider abdication, but royal commentators say there is little or no chance of this happening.
In recent years, the queen has reduced the number of official engagements she holds and passed on many royal duties and patronages to Prince Charles, his son William, and other senior royal members. But it still fulfills the most symbolic state tasks of the monarchy, such as the opening of parliament.
While officially playing his wife’s second violin, Prince Philip considered him the private head of the family.
Some royal overseers have said his absence from the role in recent years, with declining health, has played a role in some of the monarchy’s recent problems, such as the crisis of Charles’ youngest son, Prince Harry and his wife. Meghan, and the decision that saw them give up their royal roles.
“The main lesson I learned is that tolerance is an essential ingredient of any happy marriage,” Philip said in a 1997 speech.
“It may not be so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when things get difficult. You can take it from me that the queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance. ”
Reporting by Michael Holden, William James and Andy Bruce Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Frances Kerry