| schema:articleBody
| - Prince Philip, the longest serving royal consort in British history who was a constant presence at Queen Elizabeth II's side for decades, died on Friday aged 99, Buckingham Palace announced. The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is a profound loss for the 94-year-old monarch, who once described him as her "strength and stay all these years". The Queen announced his death "with deep sorrow" after he died peacefully in the morning at Windsor Castle, west of London, the palace said in a statement. "The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss," the statement said, triggering an official period of national mourning before his funeral. Flags were lowered to half-mast on public buildings as part of a well-rehearsed protocol that included the pealing of bells, planned gun salutes on Saturday and the recall of parliament on Monday. As a mark of respect, political campaigning for May local elections was suspended. An image of the prince was projected in lights at London's Piccadilly Circus landmark. Philip, an outspoken former navy commander, devoted much of his life as the Queen's husband to charity work. Famed at one point for gaffes, some caused offence but supporters said they were simply ice breakers when meeting people in awkward situations. He was admitted to hospital on February 16, and went home after a month during which he was treated for a pre-existing heart condition and an infection. Announcing his death, BBC television played the national anthem over a picture of Philip in his prime, dressed in military dress uniform. "We give thanks, as a nation and a kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," Prime Minister Boris Johnson, dressed in mourning black, said outside 10 Downing Street. Johnson said Philip had "earned the affection of generations" at home, in the Commonwealth and across the world after first serving in the Royal Navy and then over nearly eight decades beside the Queen. Tributes poured in from political and faith leaders in Britain, and from the United States, Europe and Commonwealth countries including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and Pakistan. Condolences were also expressed by leaders in Ireland, where in 2011 the Queen and Philip paid the first royal state visit for a century following generations of enmity with Britain. Philip is expected to be buried at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, according to the royal College of Arms, at a date to be determined. But restrictions for the coronavirus pandemic have seen the palace urge the public to stay away, although that did not prevent a sea of floral tributes and messages being left at royal residences. Government regulations are being eased from Monday to allow up to 30 people to attend a funeral, ruling out the attendance of foreign dignitaries. Philip's grandson, Prince Harry, is likely to make his first return to Britain since his shock move to the United States last year, British media reported. He and his American wife, Meghan, wrote on the website of their Archewell charitable foundation: "Thank you for your service... you will be greatly missed." Before this year's crisis over relations with Harry and Meghan, which saw them accuse the monarchy of racism, the royals had to weather the 1997 death in a car crash of Harry's mother Princess Diana. Tony Blair, who was prime minister at the time, lauded Philip "as a man of foresight, determination and courage" who was ahead of his time in the cause of environmental protection and setting up initiatives for young people. Chris Green, a 57-year-old local government officer, told AFP outside Buckingham Palace: "I came here when the Queen Mother (in 2002) and Diana died so I came here for a quiet thought and to pay my respects. "With his age and his recent health problems it hasn't come as a massive shock, but it is one of those moments we will look back on and say it was a significant event," he said. However, police at the palace and other royal sites discouraged well-wishers from lingering, owing to Britain's Covid restrictions on mass gatherings. Philip retired from public duties in 2017 at the age of 96 and died just before his 100th birthday in June -- a milestone that for Britons is typically marked with a congratulatory message from the queen, who is Britain's longest-serving monarch. The couple, who celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in November, had been living largely in isolation at Windsor Castle, because their age put them at heightened risk from Covid-19. Philip and the Queen -- isolated in what they called "HMS Bubble" -- received their first vaccinations against the virus in January. Philip was no stranger to health issues. He was previously fitted with a stent in 2011 after suffering from a blocked artery. He also had a hip operation in 2018 and in January 2019, he emerged unscathed after his vehicle was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people near the monarch's Sandringham estate in eastern England. The prince then spent four nights in hospital in December that year, receiving treatment for what was described as a "pre-existing condition". He was discharged on Christmas Eve 2019, in time to rejoin the rest of the royal family for the festive period. He was last seen at a staged appearance at a military ceremony at Windsor Castle last July, days after attending the wedding ceremony of his granddaughter Princess Beatrice. The Queen had four children with Philip -- heir to the throne Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward -- eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Philip was born on the island of Corfu with Danish and Greek royal titles. He fled the country when he was just 18 months old with his parents and four sisters, after his uncle, king Constantine of Greece, was forced to abdicate. The family initially settled in France. Philip was formally introduced to the then Princess Elizabeth, in July 1939 and they kept in touch during the war, meeting on several occasions. The pair married in Westminster Abbey in London in 1947. A rising star in the British navy, Philip had reached the rank of commander by the time Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952. He eventually shelved his personal ambitions to support his wife in the role. Over the ensuing decades he was involved in numerous charities, including the World Wide Fund For Nature and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme for young people. bur-phz/jwp/har
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)