The Duke of Edinburgh has passed away at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Prince Philip, who was a regular visitor to Cowes, died at Windsor Castle this morning (Friday).
An official statement from Buckingham Palace reads:
“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.”
Earlier this year, His Royal Highness was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London on the evening of 17th February, on advice from his doctor, due to an infection. Prior to this, he had been at Windsor Castle since December 2020 alongside Her Majesty. He was then moved by ambulance to St Bartholomew’s Hospital on 1st March, where he received treatment for the infection and observation for a pre-existing heart condition.
The Duke of Edinburgh went on to have an operation on his heart on 3rd March, which went successfully. Just 2 days later he was transferred back to the King Edward VII Hospital and eventually left the hospital on 16th March following his longest ever stay in hospital.
Prince Phillip was born on 10th June 1921 in Mon Repos, Corfu – the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. He married Princess Elizabeth on 20th November 1947 and has been by her side ever since, raising 4 children.
For most of his life, Prince Phillip had been known as the Duke of Edinburgh. He was bestowed the title by King George VI on 19th November 1947 ahead of his marriage to the then Princess Elizabeth.
The Duke of Edinburgh was a keen sailor and last visited Cowes, as he did numerous times during his life, back in 2016. During this visit to the Isle of Wight, His Royal Highness travelled to Osborne House to view the refurbished Durbar Room, before presenting Cowes-based lifeboat manufacturer Spinlock with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Visits were also made during the trip to Northwood House, where a group of Duke of Edinburgh Award participants met His Royal Highness before he went to the Classic Boat Museum to view an exhibition.
He was also present for the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Bicentenary event in 2015 and accompanied the Queen on her visit to the Island in 2012.
Official details on the Duke’s funeral will be released in the coming days. It’s known that the funeral is set to be a Royal Ceremonial funeral, rather than a state funeral.
Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, is expected to be bestowed the title of Duke of Edinburgh when his older brother The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, becomes King.
The Isle of Wight reacts to the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
By Adam Richardson
The Isle of Wight has begun to react to the sad news of the passing of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at age 99.
Public buildings in the Island’s key-towns have lowered their flags to half-mast in signs of respect – including County Hall, the Island’s crewed fire stations, and landmarks including Carisbrooke Castle.
Public services such as Hampshire Constabulary and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have paid tribute to Prince Philip, with tweets from several fire stations, including Shanklin and East Cowes.
Other organisations including HM Coastguard – and its Coastguard Rescue Teams – have also paid tribute, with lifeboat stations along the Island’s coast also sharing tributes online.
Prominent Isle of Wight figures have also shared their tributes including Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely. He said:
“I am very sad to hear of the death of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
“My thoughts are with the Royal Family, but especially with Her Majesty The Queen. Prince Philip was by her side for over 70 years. He was the longest-serving consort to any serving monarch in our history.
“As well as being the husband of the monarch, he achieved much in his own right. The Duke of Edinburgh Awards now run in 141 countries and territories – an astonishing achievement. Prince Philip was a leading conservationist before it was fashionable to be so, and his work championing science, arts and industry recall that of an earlier, great royal husband, Prince Albert, when he was consort to Queen Victoria.
“Prince Philip served his adopted country, Great Britain, with bravery and integrity in World War II as a Royal Navy officer.
“As a sportsman, Prince Philip was also a keen sailor and regular visitor to the Island. He often sailed in Cowes Week. Indeed, he was influential in the evolution of Cowes Week from the 1960s onwards. He was Commodore of Cowes’ Royal Yacht Squadron in the same decade and remained Admiral of the Squadron from the 1950s until the day he died.
“As the Prime Minister said: Prince Philip earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth and around the world. I am sure Islanders will join me in giving thanks for Prince Philip’s remarkable and full life.”
Elsewhere, the outgoing leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Dave Stewart, has also shared a statement:
“I am extremely sad to learn of the death of Prince Philip. My condolences go out to The Queen and the rest of the Royal family.
“He was a great lover of Cowes Week and the Island sailing scene and spent a lot of time here.
“The Isle of Wight was always well served by the Duke and the rest of the Royal Family.
“The sight of the Royal Yacht Britannia off Cowes in regatta week holds fond memories for myself and, I am sure, many Islanders.”
The Isle of Wight’s Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Susie Sheldon, has shared the following tribute:
“I am sure that all Islanders will wish to join me and my husband Jamie as we mourn the passing of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
“His Royal Highness has featured in the life of the nation for as long as most of us can remember, indeed few of us now can recall a time when he was not working alongside Her Majesty The Queen. But he will also be remembered for his own singular contributions to the fabric of the nation and the Commonwealth.
“Many of you will have followed The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme and benefited from the far-sighted scheme which he instigated in 1956. Those of you who achieved your Gold Award may well have attended receptions at St James’s Palace and discovered for yourselves what an extraordinarily inspirational man he was.
“His Royal Highness was, of course, a keen and competitive sailor and was a regular and very popular visitor to Cowes Week. Indeed, through his leadership he was instrumental in setting up Cowes Combined Clubs, the body made up of all the clubs responsible for coordinating the racing today. His links with the Island were very special.
“Her Majesty The Queen and all the members of the Royal Family are in our thoughts and prayers at this very sad time.”
Meanwhile, councillors and officers of the Isle of Wight Council say they are deeply saddened to learn of the death of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. K.G., K.T. and extend their heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and members of the Royal Family at this time.
“We remember with immense gratitude his lifetime of service to Her Majesty and the country and his fondness for the Isle of Wight.
“We are supporting the Royal Household in asking that floral tributes should not be laid at this time.
The Royal Family ask that members of the public consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving floral tributes. See www.royal.uk/donations.
A national online book of condolence is available on the Royal Family website. People who wish to offer messages of condolence are encouraged to complete this online.
Physical books of condolence will also be available at council libraries from Monday 12 April as libraries reopen in a COVID-secure way and in line with the COVID-19 roadmap. People are advised to bring their own pens to help manage the transmission of COVID-19.
Very sad day. The one and only Royal who could get away with saying what he thought, as not from the ultra PC generation who have to remain ‘gagged’ if thinking differently.
The world is no longer a nice place for such right minded people, and let’s hope he finds peace elsewhere.
RIP Sir.
Not, as the saying goes, ‘one of the best’. He was ‘The Best’.
Sir, I salute you and thank you so much for all you have done for the Country.
Rest in peace.
Quite. The Duke was a very fine man and strong support for the monarchy.
We would be in a very much better condition, with more like him and I have great respect for this mainstay of our culture and country.
I find it very strange how people feel sad for a man, that when interviewed years ago by selina Scot, when she asked him how he would sort out population growth, he said” I would like to come back as a virus”, so he really didnt care too much for common folk.
Perhaps you should have complained to the thought police, no doubt the far left F…..st will have a party and burn things that remind them of a good man…
Some years ago he used to fly into RAF Marham on his way to Sandringham and a guy on 214 squadron had run out of petrol on the perimeter track. The Duke took his can and drove his pick up car down to the local garage to get him some petrol. Decent bloke in my eyes.
I’ve done that a few time, do I get days of news coverage when I die? I am sure he was a nice bloke. But the news are milking this for every view and penny they can. If anything a disrespect to him. This is what is getting up my nose. A nice bloke who was very old died and they are ramming it down our throats.
Get a grip, the prince was known for his wit and sense of humour and that is what he probably how he meant it to come across.
RIP Philip you were indeed a great man and done so much for his country
I did meet the the Duke for a ,fleeting moment many years ago in the early 1950″s when i was a paper boy with all the yes men, sucker uppers,and social climbers saying they knew the Duke as a fiend there is one name missing UFFA FOX a great mate of the Duke”S. Uffa lived in the lodge house at Puccaster down puccaster lane at NITON which was part off my paper round. One Sunday morning when delivering the papers i knocked the door which was answered by uffas housekeeper and behind her stood uffa and behindim stood a tall blond handsome man which i now know was the duke the papers were paid for and i went on my merry way none the wiser
Such a shame the Duke has passed. RIP Phillip. You had a wonderful, full life. Thoughts go out to the Royal family, especially the Queen at this sad time. An important part of English history to be remembered.
Sycophants flagellating themselves into a stupor over the death of an old bloke. The way they are banging on about him I half expect him to rise again on Sunday.
well said fred – sounds about right – this type of fawning and worship is the stuff of north korea
this is no longer breaking news – it has broken – now it is just news.
IE please put the adverts back around the pages again, rather than this dreary black outline – thousands have died from covid this year, yet there has been no over zealous fawning over them. Your customers have paid for advertising space.
not all your readers are royalists – some are republicans and are viewing this as simply the death of a 99 year old man whose family, have suffered a loss, nothing more.
Very true, if anything disrespectful to him, he would not have wanted all the fuss.