The Queen was reportedly at Prince Philip’s bedside when he died on Friday at the age of 99, only two months before his 100th birthday.
The Queen announced the death of her husband shortly after he died.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the statement released by Buckingham Palace read. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
Prince Phillip’s funeral is reportedly set for next Saturday.
Prince Philip died peacefully on Friday morning with the Queen at his bedside
Prince Philip died on Friday after he returned home to Windsor Castle on March 16, following a month of hospitalization.
The Duke of Edinburgh was admitted to the hospital on February 16 after feeling unwell, Monsters and Critics reported. He was admitted to King Edward VII hospital in London as a “precautionary measure,” and later transferred to St. Bartholomew’s where he underwent a surgical procedure for a pre-existing heart condition.
Philip’s condition deteriorated overnight on Thursday before he died suddenly but peacefully on Friday morning. The Queen was believed to have been at his bedside when he passed away, the Daily Mail reported.
The Queen reportedly dismissed suggestions that the Duke be taken to the hospital despite being “gravely ill” because he wanted to die at home.
“He [the Duke of Edinburgh] spent most of the four weeks he was in hospital trying to get home,” a source told The Telegraph. “They operated on his heart in a bid to give him a little longer, maybe with the 100th birthday in mind. But he didn’t really care about that…There is no way he would have wanted to die in hospital.”
Philip retired back in 2017
Prince Philip retired from public life and official royal duties in 2017 when he was 96 years old. He conducted his last public engagement in August of that year after he announced his retirement in May, according to the BBC.
He reportedly divided his time between Windsor Castle and the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk after his retirement.
Prince Philip bio
Prince Philip was born in Greece on June 10, 1921. He was a member of the Greek and Danish royal families. His family was exiled from Greece when he was still an infant and he was raised in the U.K.
He served the British Royal Navy with distinction in World War II.
Philip and Princess Elizabeth first met in 1934. They got engaged in July 1947 after they met again in 1939 and began corresponding. He adopted British nationality before marrying Elizabeth in November 1947.
Elizabeth succeeded to the throne at the age of 27, immediately on the death of her father George VI on February 6, 1952. The official coronation ceremony took place on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey.
The Duke passed away on Friday after he and the Queen celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in November 2020. He was the longest-serving consort in British history.