New Delhi: Former US President Barack Obama on Saturday expressed grief over the demise of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, saying he was kind and warm, with a sharp wit and unfailing good humour. Posting a picture of himself and Michelle Obama with Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, the former US president talked about his first meeting with the royal couple. When we first met His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, he and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had already been on the world stage for more than half a century – welcoming leaders like Churchill and Kennedy; Mandela and Gorbachev. As two Americans unaccustomed to palaces and pomp, we didn’t know what to expect (sic),” said Obama.
Obama said that Prince Philip in particular was kind and warm, with a sharp wit and unfailing good humor. “It was our first introduction to the man behind the title, and in the years since, our admiration for him has only grown. We will miss him dearly,” he added.
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Earlier on Thursday, Joe Biden, the US President had praised the Duke for his public service, saying “his legacy will live on not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavours he shaped.” President Joe Biden and his wife Jill, sent their condolences “on behalf of all the people of the United States.”
“Over the course of his 99-year life, he saw our world change dramatically and repeatedly. From his service during World War II, to his 73 years alongside the Queen, and his entire life in the public eye — Prince Philip gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family. The impact of his decades of devoted public service is evident in the worthy causes he lifted up as patron, in the environmental efforts he championed, in the members of the Armed Forces that he supported, in the young people he inspired, and so much more. His legacy will live on not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavours he shaped”, they said.
Prince Philip passed away on Friday, the Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. “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,” the statement released by the Buckingham Palace said.