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Sending thoughts and prayers. Following the news of Prince Philip’s passing on Friday, April 9, people across the globe are paying their respects to the British royal family.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday that Philip had died 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. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” the family’s statement read. “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course.”
The late duke is survived by Queen Elizabeth II, whom he married in 1947. The royal couple shared four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
In addition, the World War II veteran leaves behind eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Prince Harry previously revealed that his grandfather was the first member of the royal family to meet newborn Archie in May 2019.
The British royal was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London as a “precautionary measure” in February after feeling ill. “The Duke of Edinburgh will remain in the hospital, on a doctor’s recommendation, for a few days,” the palace noted in a statement to Us at the time. Philip was previously hospitalized in December 2019 but was released a few days later.
Before Philip’s death, it was reported that Harry and Meghan were expected to reunite with the queen, 94, for the first time since they officially stepped back from their senior royal duties in March 2020. The couple, who wed in May 2018, relocated to California after announcing in January 2020 that they were taking time away from their royal responsibilities.
Per The Sunday Times, Harry and Meghan planned to attend the queen’s 95th birthday celebration and the Trooping the Colour parade in June. Royal aides told the newspaper that because the event is both official and a family occasion, the duo were expected to show, but the parade was later postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The ongoing pandemic will also make planning Philip’s funeral more challenging. A source exclusively revealed on Friday that the queen is “heartbroken” over the loss of her husband and has already begun solidifying details of the memorial. Though international travel is restricted due to coronavirus precautions, the monarch “wants Harry to be there.”
The source continued, “Harry is hopeful that he’ll be able to return home to honor his grandfather, who he had a close bond with.”
Philip, for his part, retired from his royal duties in August 2017. Before the end of his tenure, he had completed more than 22,000 solo engagements, making him the longest-serving consort of a British sovereign. In November 2020, the Duke of Edinburgh and Elizabeth celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary and became the longest-married couple in British royal history.
Scroll through to see how the late royal is being remembered around the world.
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