Prince Philip, the husband of the Queen of England, died on Friday, April 9.
A statement on the Royal Family website said “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces 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”.
Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied Elizabeth II for more than half a century. The couple got married 73 years ago and the Prince accompanied the Queen during her 69-year reign. A couple that stands out for its longevity.
Of German descent, Philip of Greece and Denmark was born in Corfu on June 10, 1921. He had a solitary and turbulent childhood, living in France, England and Germany. At the age of 18 months, he was evacuated in a bed made of orange cartons on board a British ship, with his parents and four older sisters, while his uncle the King of Greece was deposed.
The Prince’s childhood was marked by many tragedies, such as the internment of his mother in a psychiatric hospital and the death of his beloved sister Cecile of Greece, who was married to a Nazi dignitary.
He was only 18 when he first met Elizabeth Windsor, who was only 13 at the time, but it was love at first sight. Although they were third cousins – both being descendants of Queen Victoria – they were married on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey.
Since Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne on February 6, 1952, Prince Philip has been her constant support. “My first, second and ultimate job is to never let the Queen down”, he once declared. In return, Elizabeth II said in 2011 that Prince Philip was her “rock” and “simply my strength and support”.
Since 2017 the Prince has suffered from a number of health problems that have cost him some hospitalization, the last of which was on February 16, when Prince Philip underwent an operation for a heart problem.
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