(Newser)
– Buckingham Palace officials say Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has died. He was 99 years old. “With deep sorrow, Her Majesty the Queen announced the death of her beloved husband, Her Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the palace said. “His Royal Highness died peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.” Philip spent a month in hospital earlier this year before being released on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle. Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, married Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became queen. He was the longest-lived consort (ie official companion of the monarch) in British history, reports AP.
Historian Sarah Gristwood told NBC News that when his wife became queen, the British monarchy “was not equipped to cope with a new media era, and Prince Philip played a huge role in advancing it.” He was, for example, the first British king to give a TV interview and help bring gifts to the public using TV rather than radio. He withdrew from public commitments in 2017 after making more than 20,000 of them. Philip was a member of the Greek royal family and was born on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921. He was a sportsman in love who loved his country activities. He had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, on the BBC. (Read more stories about Prince Philip.)