On the morning of April 9, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of Edinburgh passed away at Windsor Castle. Prince Philip died at 99.

The flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast to mark the duke’s death.

Husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip has been key to the enduring monarchy in the United Kingdom. The queen described him as her “strength and stay” at the couple’s golden wedding anniversary in 1997.

The Royal Love Story of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth
The two met when the queen was 13. At that time, she was Princess Elizabeth, and she was introduced to Philip by his uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten. Despite an initial disapproval of Philip as he was a foreigner (he was born on the Greek island of Corfu), Philip's charisma and athletic skills added glamour to the royal family and soon later, the couple shared four children, eight grandchildren and eleven great–grandchildren.

In 1952, Elizabeth became the monarch and head–of–state at 27, and Philip, jolted into new roles, left his naval career and supported the queen and raised their family.

Royal Achievements

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
Prince Philip founded the Duke of Edinburgh youth awards program in 1956. The program allows young adults to explore and enter adulthood through activities that benefit the community. The program continues to this day and has expanded to countries like Hong Kong.

Sports
After retiring from the game of polo in 1970, Prince Philip, as president of the International Equestrian Federation, created rules for international carriage competitions. Ever since, he has represented Britain in six international championships.

Master of the Skies
Prince Philip was a member of the Royal Air Force and earned his Royal Air Force wings in 1953. He is also able to fly a helicopter and a private plane.

Jewelry
Prince Philip designed a bracelet with gold, diamond, and ruby for the queen’s fifth wedding anniversary gift.

Retirement
In May 2017, Prince Philip announced that he would be retiring, meaning that he would no longer continue his royal duties.

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Affected Prince Philip
After being infected on February 16, the Duke of Edinburgh was hospitalized at King Edward VII’s Hospital.

During the month, he underwent a successful treatment of a heart ailment at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. Despite being hospitalized and being impacted by the pandemic, the cause of the Duke of Edinburgh has not been announced by Buckingham Palace.

The duke’s body will lie in Windsor Castle and funerals are expected to be arranged soon.