schema:articleBody
| - Former US president Donald Trump said Friday that the death of Britain's Prince Philip was an "irreplaceable" loss to his country and expressed his and wife Melania's "heartfelt sympathies" to Queen Elizabeth II and her family. "The world mourns the passing of Prince Philip, a man who embodied the noble soul and proud spirit of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth," Trump said in a statement. "This is an irreplaceable loss for Great Britain, and for all who hold dear our civilization," he said. "Prince Philip defined British dignity and grace. He personified the quiet reserve, stern fortitude, and unbending integrity of the United Kingdom," he said. On Facebook former president Barack Obama praised Philip, who died Friday at age 99, as someone who took his job as husband to the queen with selflessness. "At the queen's side or trailing the customary two steps behind, Prince Philip showed the world what it meant to be a supportive husband to a powerful woman." Recalling his and wife Michelle Obama's first meeting with the British royal couple, he said Philip "in particular was kind and warm, with a sharp wit and unfailing good humor." "We will miss him dearly," Obama wrote. Earlier President Joe Biden paid tribute to Prince Philip as a selfless servant of Britain and its people. "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," Biden said in a statement. pmh/dw
|