Prince Philip, the 99 year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth, tragically passed away on Friday morning at Windsor Castle. Now, the 94 year-old Queen is speaking out to pay tribute to the man that she was married to for 73 years.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than we would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” the Queen said in a statement posted to Instagram alongside a photo of her and Philip.
“At the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, the Duke of Edinburgh swore to be Her Majesty’s ‘liege man of life and limb,'” the caption continued. “The Duke was a devoted consort (companion to the Sovereign) for almost 70 years, from Her Majesty’s Accession in 1952 until his death.”
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The Queen and Philip had been married since November of 1947, and they had four children together. The Queen is now in an eight day period of mourning for her husband.
Omid Scobie, co-author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, told Entertainment Tonight that “the days leading up to Prince Philip’s passing would have no doubt been difficult for the queen.”
“When we saw him travel back to Windsor Castle to be reunited with the queen [after his hospitalization in February], there were many that thought it could be his final days,” he said. “What’s so great about that, from a couple that spent 73 years married together, a very happy marriage, they were really each other’s sidekicks throughout all of this.”
“She may have been the Head of State, but he was there supporting her every step of the way,” Scobie added. “And as a family, they were very much equals. And so this would have been a really beautiful time for them to remember all of the things that they’ve achieved together, and for him to really celebrate and be happy with the life that he had lived. She does have a very large family, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren who were all there for her in her time of need.”
Buckingham Palace has announced that Philip’s televised funeral will take place at George’s Chapel Windsor at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 17. Because of COVID-19, the funeral will be a smaller affair than what would typically be expected.
“Only 30 people will be able to attend,” the palace said. “The funeral ‘will very much reflect the personal wishes of the Duke.’ Service will honor Prince Philips 70 years of service. There will be a national period of mourning until then and day of. Flags at half mast.”
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