It was Her Majesty The Queen who shared the news of the passing of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip died two months before what would have been his milestone birthday. He was 99 years old and described by many as one of the most special individuals there are.
Although he was a prince himself, he had to give away his title Prince of Greece and Denmark and had to accept that his children wouldn’t have his last name. But, he did all that for the love of his life who he supported throughout their marriage of many years.
Prince Andrew, Prince Philip’s son, said: “The Queen as you would expect is an incredibly stoic person. And she described his passing as a miracle. And she’s contemplating. She described it as having left a huge void in her life,” as per CNN. The Queen and the entire family were glad Prince Philip didn’t die at the hospital but in the comfort of his home, the Windsor Castle.
Almost a month prior to his passing, Prince Philip stayed at a hospital for some time in order to be supervised by doctors because of his fragile health. He was released on March 16 and now details of his final days have emerged.
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. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021
Speaking to The Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Kay shared: “No longer the decisive man of action who had devoted a lifetime to supporting her, she was now able to repay him.
“Domestic timetables such as mealtimes were torn up to accommodate him when he felt he was strong enough to join her. Even with failing health signalling that his life was drawing to a close, the two were still able to enjoy time with each other as they always had.
“In recent weeks he would often sleep for much of the day, but there were moments of great lucidity and joyful togetherness.
“One such moment came when he dropped his reading glasses. A footman in attendance leapt forward to pick them up. ‘Never mind,’ the duke said, raising his arm. ‘I’ll do it.’ And so he did, bending down to the floor.
“On another occasion the Queen was overheard reflecting that her husband of 73 years was refusing to use his hearing aid. ‘It means we have to shout.’”
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s love story was legendary — their 73-year-plus marriage was the longest in royal history. ❤️ But well before their wedding in November 1947, there were signs the two were destined to be together. https://t.co/wdkxUqpNa9 pic.twitter.com/QkTmtKXcRU
— People (@people) April 9, 2021
Some days when he felt better, he and the Queen would go outside the castle to take in the sun.
Prince Philip’s last wish was to remain in his home, and according to a source, there were suggestions for him to be taken back to the hospital last Thursday but the Queen rejected that because she wanted to grant him his wish.
According to what Charles Anson, who served as a press secretary to the Queen, told People, she was somehow preparing for the moment of losing her husband.
“She would have thought about this moment several times, and her way would be to remain as steady and as calm as possible.
“That comes naturally to her through her temperament and her experience.
“In my years of working for her she was always calm, no matter what was going on. But for any human being, this is a very cathartic moment.
“There were some things they had to deal with together that were difficult, but it was a long marriage with a great deal of happiness. He took very seriously his role as a support for the Queen as monarch.”
Prince Philip devotees hold mourning ceremony in Vanuatu https://t.co/waKuwxbMSE pic.twitter.com/WkrL47WEL4
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2021
Rest in peace, Prince Philip. Our hearts go out to the Queen and the royal family.