Duke of Edinburgh dies at the age of 99
On Friday, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Prince Philip at the age of 99. "It is with deep regret that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," the British Royal Family announced in a statement.
Queen Elizabeth's husband announced his retirement in 2017, which meant the end of his official duties. Since then, his health has deteriorated significantly. From last February onwards, the Prince had to be admitted to hospital on several occasions for cardiovascular problems. The Duke left King Edward VII Hospital for the last time on 16 March.
Philip of Edinburgh was born on 10 June 1921 in Corfu, Greece. He was the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Alice Battenberg, who was admitted to a mental hospital when Philip was only eight years old. After a period of instability in Greece, the royal family was forced to abdicate, and Philip's family moved to Paris and later to England. As a result, the prince changed boarding schools frequently.
Once he finished his studies, he joined the Royal Navy and became the youngest deputy commander in the navy. He fought on the British side during World War II, taking part in the Battle of Crete and the Battle of Cape Matapan. In 1942 he took part in the Allied landings in Sicily against fascism and was also present at the signing of the Japanese Act of Surrender.
The Duke of Edinburgh began his time as royal consort in 1947, when he married Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey. This post-war wedding created joy among the population, which was still recovering from the war, but also created misgivings because of the Duke's ties to Germany. His four sisters married Germans with Nazi ties, so none of them were invited to the wedding. From this marriage, Charles, Anna, Andrew and Edward were born.
The Duke had to renounce his religion and his allegiance to Greece in order to marry Queen Elisabeth. He also had to renounce the right of his children to bear his surname. The idea of keeping the British royal name, Windsor, was the brainchild of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who also frowned upon the Duke's relationship with Nazi Germany. "I'm nothing but a bloody amoeba. The only man in England who is not allowed to give his children a surname," the prince once remarked. Philip has always kept a low profile on royal or political matters, leaving his wife, Queen Elizabeth, to speak for herself. He did, however, support philanthropic initiatives and was involved with more than 800 organisations. In 1956 he founded the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, a programme dedicated to young people in more than 130 countries. He also, despite his advanced age, visited British forces in southern Iraq in 2006.
After announcing his retirement from public life and official duties, the Duke spent much of his time at a country house in Sandringham, 170 kilometres from London. The Duke, who has always been passionate about nature, was an active member of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). His later years were spent reading, painting and hunting, one of the Duke's favourite sports. However, during his youth he also played other sports such as polo and sailing. Philip, since his retirement, has kept a close eye on the latest controversies surrounding Buckingham Palace. Meghan Markle, actress and wife of Prince Harry, accused the Royal Family of racism. "When I was pregnant there were concerns and conversations about how dark my son's skin might be when he was born," Meghan said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which also featured her husband, the Duke's grandson. Prince Harry also criticised his family and said he felt "trapped". The Royal Family, including the Queen, had to explain the inflammatory remarks.