Death of Prince Philip, the great love of Elizabeth II, a few days before his 100th birthday
For more than 70 years, Prince Philip stood in the shadow of his wife Elizabeth II. An enigmatic but no less endearing figure, the one who had taken the habit of walking two steps behind the monarch died on April 9 at the age of 99, as announced in a painful press release from Buckingham Palace.
Farewell to the prince. Many times feared, the sad news, this time very real, came to upset the British: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years died on April 9 at the age of 99 years old as revealed by Buckingham Palace in a statement. “It is with deep sadness that Her Majesty The Queen announces the passing of her beloved husband. Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. join people around the world to mourn her loss. "
Already on February 17, the announcement of his hospitalization at King Edward VII Hospital in London after an illness did not bode well. 99-year-old Prince Philip had sadly become a regular in hospital rooms, like this time in December 2019 when he had already caused the queen's fear before the Christmas holidays ... But tough, he always seemed to come out winner of his medical woes. This time he was not so lucky. Retired from public life since 2017 after 22,000 engagements in the service of the Crown, Prince Philip was living a peaceful retreat away from the palace grounds, on the grounds of Sandringham in Norfolk, in a small red brick cottage.
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.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021
His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn
Far from his wife Elizabeth II, surrounded by few servants, he indulged his passions for painting and reading. The Covid-19 crisis had nevertheless turned his daily life upside down: Prince Philip had been helicoptered to Windsor Castle in March 2020 to be confined alongside his wife. The opportunity for the couple to reconnect with life together, and celebrate together on November 20, their 73 years of marriage.
Prince Philip will be the only love of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was only 13 when she met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, this tall, handsome blonde who had joined the Royal Navy. She knew nothing about this 18-year-old man, with a tumultuous childhood, born far from London, under the Corfu sun. It will be him and not another, his young heart is already beating so hard. Regardless of her past and her family, he will be her only love, the one she wishes to marry, no offense to her parents.
Deeply smitten, she won her case. The engagement was announced on July 9, 1947, then the same year, the marriage was celebrated on November 9 in Westminster Abbey. Out of love for her, Philip renounces his Greek and Danish royal titles and agrees to convert from the Greek Orthodox religion to Anglicanism. Three months after the ceremony, the young woman is pregnant. Together, the couple will have four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward.
"He's my rock. He's just been my strength and my support."
Their destinies change in 1952, with the death of King George VI. Elizabeth becomes queen, and her husband Prince Philip is now forced to end his career in the Royal Navy. From then on, he will be the queen's husband, summoned to walk two steps behind her. With a fiery temperament, Prince Philip saw this new status with difficulty and multiplied blood strokes. It lacks air, freedom. Tensions within the couple appear. Rumors of infidelity too.
But the Duke of Edinburgh will never abandon his wife. "He is my rock. He has simply been my strength and my support," Elizabeth II said fondly in 2011. Until the end he will assume his role, honor his public commitments and his duties to the Crown. In the shadows, he will be his greatest asset and his best ally. The one who supports her, advises her, and above all makes her laugh, bringing a little lightness to the very corseted universe of the Palace. Prince Philip leaves behind him the image of a strong man, noted for his politically incorrect projections but also his great sense of duty. But above all, he will have marked the monarchy by his loyalty, forming a united couple with Elizabeth II.
