At nine a.m. on April 9^th, Buckingham Palace announced in an official statement that “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty the Queen announces 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.”

Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh died peacefully at the age of 99 years, with Queen Elizabeth II standing by his side in the last moments. Prince Phillip was admitted into St. Bartholomew’s hospital in December for the purpose of observing a pre-existing heart condition, however the sudden decline of his health was unanticipated to the royal family.

“It’s been a bit of a shock,” Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex told sources. “However, one tries to prepare oneself for this its’ still a dreadful shock and we’re still trying to come to terms with that.”

Prince Phillip was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years and was the longest serving consort in British royal history. Together, they had 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. Prince Phillip was known to his grandchildren as “a rock to us all” and “a man of service, honor and great humor.”

“But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ’til the end,”

In the wake of his death, his unwavering service to the Queen and Crown is being remembered and appreciated more than ever. During his lifetime Prince Phillip undertook more than 22,000 solo engagements as a member of the senior royal family, as well as accompanied the Queen to most of her official engagements.

The prince was the founder and president of World Wildlife Fund (WWF.) Some of his most notable accomplishments included authoring 14 books, being a patron of military charities following his departure from the Royal Navy and earning his pilot’s license in time to serve with the Allies during WWII. He retired from his duties as a working royal in 2017.

The funeral was held on April 17^th, and following the COVID health guidelines, only 30 guests were invited (in comparison to the Queen Mother’s death in 2002 that had 2,000 guests.) The entire royal family was in attendance, except for Megan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, who stayed in California on the advice of her doctor.

From the funeral, Prince Phillip was placed in his final resting place in the royal vault at St. George’s castle.