Human Interest

Buckingham Palace announces death of Prince Philip

(Update 1: adds details, reactions)

London, Apr 9 (EFE).- Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has passed away, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

“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,” a statement said.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

Prince Philip, who was the longest-serving royal consort in British history, was 99. He died two months shy of his 100th birthday.

He had recently spent a month in hospital and was released on March 16 after undergoing surgery for a pre-existing heart condition. That was the last time he was seen in public.

The father of the heir to the Crown, Charles the Prince of Wales, born in 1948, Philip had three other children with Elizabeth II: Princess Anne (1950), Prince Andrew (1960), and Prince Edward (1964).

He was born into a traditional European royal family: his father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, and his mother, Princess Alice, was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Leading British political figures have mourned his death, including prime minister Boris Johnson, who said the Duke of Edinburgh had “inspired” several generations of Britons.

“We are a kingdom united in both grief and gratitude; grief at Philip’s passing, and gratitude for his decades of selfless service to the country,” he said in a statement.

The leader of the opposition, Labour’s Keir Starmer, said that with the Duke’s death “an extraordinary public servant” has been lost, while Scotland’s Chief Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said she was “saddened” by the news and conveyed her “personal ad deepest condolences” to Queen Elizabeth II. EFE

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