![Prince Philip has died aged 99 after a recent infection and heart procedure [File: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images]](/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-52104334.jpg?resize=270%2C180)
While known for outrageous statements many saw as bigoted, Prince Philip made personal sacrifices to support the Queen.
Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, dies aged 99
Buckingham Palace says the husband of Queen Elizabeth II ‘passed away peacefully’ at Windsor Castle.
![The duke of Edinburgh had been by Queen Elizabeth II's side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history [File: Oli Scarff/Pool via Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2012-05-09T130418Z_1490723185_RC21HY7WQ73R_RTRMADP_3_BRITAIN-ROYALS-PHILIP.jpg?resize=770%2C513)
9 Apr 2021
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Updated:
17 minutes ago
The United Kingdom’s Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
“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,” the palace said in a statement.
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced 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. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021
The duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known, had spent four weeks in hospital earlier this year to receive treatment for an infection and have a heart procedure, but returned to Windsor in early March.
He had been by the queen’s side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years,” the queen said in a rare personal tribute to him made in a speech marking the pair’s 50th wedding anniversary in 1997.
The couple married in 1947.
Prince Philip’s last public appearance came last July at a military ceremony at Windsor Castle, the royal palace to the west of London where he and the monarch have resided during COVID-19 lockdowns.
In his life, he earned a reputation for a tough, no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for occasional bigotry.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would be remembered “above all for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen”.
“Not just as her consort, by her side, every day of her reign, but as her husband, her strength and stay of more than 70 years,” Johnson said in a televised address to the nation.
“And it is to Her Majesty, and her family, that our nation’s thoughts must turn today,” he added.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
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