Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, dead at 99

Queen Elizabeth’s husband, 99-year-old Prince Philip, is dead, the British Royal Family reports.

Queen Elizabeth’s husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died on the morning of April 9, 99 years old.

“It is with deep sadness that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, Prince Philip,” a Friday statement from the British Royal Family noted.

He passed on quietly at Windsor Castle on Friday morning.

Philip had recently been in hospital after being diagnosed with an infection in February.

Born on Corfu

Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10, 1921, the son of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria Alice of Battenberg.

The following year, Philips’ uncle, King Constantine I of Greece, was forced to abdicate, and the country’s new military rulers imprisoned Prince Andreas.

The prince was allowed to leave Greece a few months later, with an order never to return. The family settled in Paris, where Philip grew up.

After finishing school in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Philip enlisted in the British Navy in 1939 as an 18-year-old.

Exchanging letters

That same year, he began exchanging letters with the then 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, whom he had met during a tour five years earlier.

After completing his military service in the Mediterranean and the Pacific, Philip received permission from King George VI to marry the princess.

The wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947, after Philip had renounced his Greek and Danish royal titles. He was appointed Duke of Edinburgh.

Philip continued to serve in the British Navy until King George VI died and Princess Elizabeth took over the throne in 1952. Only five years later did the queen give him the formal title of prince.

The couple had four children, Charles in 1948, Anne in 1950, Andrew in 1960, and Edward in 1964.

Over the years, the prince has been an honorary member and patron of almost 800 organizations, but otherwise, he had a reserved role and was most often seen a few steps behind his wife.

Prince Philip was known as an avid sports enthusiast. He played polo, sailed, and helped promote horse and carriage riding as a sport.

He was known for being both down-to-earth.

Rumors

Like most other British royal family members, Prince Philip has been the subject of a number of rumors and speculations over the years, all eagerly disseminated by the British tabloid press.

According to rumors, he had several extramarital affairs, including with a Russian ballerina, a Hollywood actress, a belly dancer, and several others. None of the affairs were ever confirmed.

In August 2017, the prince carried out his last official mission alone for the British Royal Family and then announced that he would join the ranks of the pensioners.

The following year, he underwent a successful hip operation, and on December 20, 2019, he was hospitalized for observation and treatment for a previous condition, as stated in the announcement from Buckingham Palace.

Through 2020 and 2021, he experienced further health problems and was admitted to the hospital on February 17. After an infection and a successful heart operation, he was discharged on March 16.

On Friday, April 9, the man who became the oldest male member that the British Royal Family ever had, died, aged 99.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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