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The death has been announced of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip
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The Duke of Edinburgh s death has fallen in the midst of unprecedented times as the nation remains gripped by the coronavirus pandemic
The Duke of Edinburgh s death has fallen in the midst of unprecedented times as the nation remains gripped by the coronavirus pandemic.
After the turmoil of 2020, 2021 began with a third national lockdown in England as the Covid-19 deaths continued to rise across the UK and around the world.
Philip, 99, who was married to the Queen for more than 70 years, was just weeks from his milestone 100th birthday on June 10, and the Queen is approaching her platinum jubilee next year.
The Duke of Edinburgh was a famous public figure, but some facts about the Queen’s husband were perhaps less well-documented:
1. He was worshipped as a god by the people of Tanna, one of the islands in Vanuatu in the South West Pacific.
2. He was a prolific writer and had 14 books published on environmental, technological, equestrian and other issues including The Environmental Revolution (1978); Men, Machines And Sacred Cows (1984); and 30 Years On And Off The Box Seat (2004).
The Duke of Edinburgh had 14 books published (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
3. He was the first member of the royal family to be interviewed on television – by Richard Dimbleby in 1961 – and presented several TV documentaries.
Prince Philip: No state funeral for Duke of Edinburgh and death notice removed
Public has been asked not to gather or attempt to attend any of the events due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
15:11, 9 APR 2021
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The Duke of Edinburgh s funeral will be a private event and the public is being asked not to attend, according to reports.
The Mirror reports that Prince Philip will be having a ceremonial royal funeral rather than a state funeral - and he will lie in rest at Windsor Castle, in line with his wishes.
Instead, His Royal Highness will have a military style funeral, with a private service held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor and the public has been asked not to gather or attempt to attend any of the events due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark on June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, he was the son of Princess Alice of Battenberg and Prince Andrew of Greece. After his family was exiled from Greece, Philip grew up in France and Germany.He was later sent to live in Britain with his maternal grandmother, Victoria Mountbatten, herself the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1939, aged 18, Philip joined the British navy. He met his future wife, Elizabeth – his third cousin – that same year when the royal family toured his naval college. She was 13 at the time and reportedly fell in love with him almost immediately.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s life as told in 99 facts about him
Following the Queen’s announcement of the death of her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, we look back at an incredible life. From growing up in exile in France, England and Scotland, to losing his beloved sister Cecilie in a plane crash when he was just a teenager; to renouncing the Greek and Danish thrones to become a naturalised British citizen and marry the then Princess Elizabeth; to his favourite foods, his surprising hobbies and the people who worship him, here are 99 facts about the longest serving royal Consort in history