Faithful Accompanied Queen Elizabeth II For 73 Years, Prince Philip: Tolerance The Key To A Happy Marriage
JAKARTA - Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II and a prominent figure in the British royal family for nearly seven decades, has died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace said on Friday, April 9.
"It is with deep sadness that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, Her Majesty Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," the palace said in a statement, reported Reuters Friday, April 9.
"Your Majesty passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family joins people around the world to mourn his loss," the statement continued.
Before he died, Prince Philip was treated for four weeks for treatment related to his heart health. Prince Philip, who will turn 100 next June, was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in London on 16 February.
His charm and reluctance to tolerate people he considered stupid or licked earned him a respected position
But for others, his sometimes rude demeanor makes him seem rude, aloof and pleases newspaper editors, who are keen to capture any distorted comments at official events.
The former naval officer admitted that he found it difficult to give up his beloved military career, to take later companion queen Elizbeth II.
Personally, he is considered the head of his family which is unquestionable. However, protocol requires him to spend his public life literally one step behind his wife.
"There is no precedent. If I ask someone 'what do you expect me to do?', they all seem empty, they don't know, no one knows," he said in an interview to mark his 90th birthday.
After completing more than 22,000 state duties, Philip retired from public life in August 2017, although He occasionally appeared on official events afterwards.
His last appearance came last July at a military ceremony at Windsor Castle, the royal palace in west London where he and the king lived during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The 94-year-old Queen ascended the throne in 1952 and the couple, who were third cousins, married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947. They have four children, Prince Charles, heir to the throne, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew and Edward.
The death of the queen's husband and closest confidante will raise the question, will she consider abdicating? However, royal commentators say there is little or no chance this will happen.
In recent years, Queen Elizabeth II handed over many royal duties and protection to Prince Charles, her son Prince William and other senior royals. However, He still performs the most symbolic duties of the monarchy state, such as the opening of parliament.
"The main lesson we have learned is that tolerance is one of the essential elements of every happy marriage," Philip said in a speech in 1997.
"It may not really matter when things are going well, but it's very important when things get tough. You can take it from me, that the queen has an abundant quality of tolerance," Prince Philip said.