UK: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, the longtime husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, has died. He was 99.
The royal family made the announcement on Twitter Friday morning.
“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,” the tweet said. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.
Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1921, Philip was sent to live in England with his grandmother in 1928. He served in Britain’s military after graduating from the Royal Naval College in 1939.
Just a few months later, Philip met his future wife, then known as Princess Elizabeth. They were married in 1947. Philip renounced his Greek and Danish royal titles to marry her.
The royal couple was thrust into the international spotlight when Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25. Throughout their 73-year marriage, Philip was a constant fixture along with the queen, always by her side. They had four children together, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
Philip retired from public duties in 2017 and rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July.
A former naval officer and keen polo player, Philip enjoyed robust health well into old age but has had a number of health issues in recent years.
In 2011, he was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains and treated for a blocked coronary artery. In 2017, he spent two nights in the King Edward VII hospital and was hospitalized for 10 days in 2018 for a hip replacement.
Philip was last hospitalized in December 2019, spending four nights in the King Edward VII Hospital for what the palace said was planned treatment of a pre-existing condition.
He was forced to give up driving at the age of 97, after smashing into a car while driving a Land Rover near Sandringham estate in January 2019. Philip needed help to get out of the Land Rover but wasn’t injured. A woman in the other vehicle suffered a broken wrist.
Even after that, Philip continued to drive a horse and carriage on private land from time to time.
Funeral arrangements for the Duke of Edinburgh have not yet been publicly announced.
