RIP Prince Philip, 1921-2021

Prince Philip / Getty Images

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died today at the age of 99. “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 statement from the Royal Family went on to say: “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning [Friday, April 9, 2021] at Windsor Castle.”

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.

His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021

Born in Greece on June 10, 1921, Prince Philip served with distinction in the British Royal Navy during World War II. A member of the Greek and Danish Royal Families, he renounced his titles and took his maternal grandparents’ surname before wedding then-Princess Elizabeth on November 20, 1947. They were married 73 years, and had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and  Edward.

The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, offered condolences to Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family. “At this moment of sadness and loss,” he wrote, “I pray for the repose of the soul of Prince Philip, Her Majesty the Queen’s faithful and loyal husband. I pray for the Queen and all of the Royal Family.”

Archbishop Nichols remembered Prince Philip as “an example of steadfast loyalty and duty cheerfully given.”

“How much we will miss Prince Philip’s presence and character, so full of life and vigour,” Cardinal Nichols said. “May he rest in peace.”

At this moment of sadness and loss I pray for the repose of the soul of Prince Philip, Her Majesty the Queen’s faithful and loyal husband. I pray for the Queen and all of the Royal Family.

— Cardinal Nichols (@CardinalNichols) April 9, 2021

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said Prince Philip “consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and, in so doing, provided an outstanding example of Christian service.”

I join with the rest of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in mourning the loss of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. https://t.co/nLYSBlmnHe pic.twitter.com/RajI33U3tr

— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) April 9, 2021

“During his naval career,” the Archbishop of Canterbury went on to say, “he won the respect of his peers as an outstanding officer.” Archbishop Welby also recalled Prince Philip’s “obvious joy at life, his enquiring mind and his ability to communicate to people from every background and walk of life.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “By any measure, Prince Philip lived an extraordinary life – as a naval hero in the Second World War, as the man who inspired countless young people through the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and above all, as the Queen’s consort.”

“Our thoughts,” the Prime Minister went on to say, “are with Her Majesty and the family, who have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud, loving father and grandfather.”

“We are a Kingdom United,” Johnson said in his tribute, “both in grief and gratitude: Grief at Prince Philip’s passing, and gratitude for his decades of selfless service to the UK.”

Prince Philip had recently been in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, for treatment of an infection and a heart condition. He transferred to St Bartholomew’s on March 1, after eleven days at King Edward VII Hospital in London. Prince Philip was discharged from St Bartholomew’s on March 16.

The official website of the Royal Family reports that further announcements regarding funeral and other memorial arrangements will be made “in due course.” and acknowledges the expressions of mourning and condolence coming from around the world.