Britain is in mourning. Buckingham Palace announced on Friday, April 9, that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died “peacefully” at Windsor Castle per an official royal statement (via NBC News). Boris Johnson, who is the fourteenth Prime Minister to serve under Queen Elizabeth II (via LBC) took to Twitter to express his condolences to the royal family. Writing, “By any measure, Prince Philip lived an extraordinary life — as a naval hero in the Second World War, as the man who inspired countless young people through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and, above all, as Her Majesty The Queen’s loyal consort.”
Johnson continued, “Our thoughts are with Her Majesty and her family, who have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.”
Concluding, “We are a kingdom united both in grief and gratitude; grief at Prince Philip’s passing, and gratitude for his decades of selfless service to the country.”
The social media announcement from the Prime Minister comes on the heels of an official public press briefing in front of Johnson’s residence at 10 Downing Street where he touted Prince Philips life and expressed the deep sorrow felt for their nation and they beloved queen. As reported by the Independent he shared, “So we mourn today with Her Majesty The Queen, we offer our condolences to her and to all her family and we give thanks, as a nation and a Kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”
Prime Ministers from New Zealand and Australia have publicly sent their condolences to the royal family
Condolences have begun coming in from different parts of the Commonwealth. Per The Telegraph, New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden of New Zealand sent her condolences to the Royal Family, saying “Our thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen at this profoundly sad time. On behalf of the New Zealand people and the Government, I would like to express my sincere condolences to Her Majesty and to all the Royal Family.”
Adding, “Prince Philip will be fondly remembered for the encouragement he gave to so many young New Zealanders through The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. In over fifty years of The Award in New Zealand, thousands of young people have completed life-changing challenges through the programme.”
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison added his voice, saying: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was, in the words of Her Majesty, her ‘strength and stay’. He embodied a generation that we will never see again.”
Prince Philip was last seen in public as he was being driven home after an extended stay in the hospital, where he also underwent what was said to be a cardiac procedure. The Telegraph says he is expected to be given a royal ceremonial funeral, as he had requested, in seven days’ time.
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