Prince Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday, marking the start of a mourning period in the country.
In a statement issued on behalf of the 94-year-old monarch, the palace said that the country’s longest-serving royal consort had died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning.
“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,” the palace statement read. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” it said.
“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course,” the statement added.
The Duke, who was to mark his 100th birthday on June 10, had been discharged from hospital in London on March 16 after a month since he had been admitted there and went on to have a successful heart procedure. The 28-night stay had been his longest spell in hospital where he was treated for a pre-existing heart condition. In 2011, Prince Philip was taken to hospital by helicopter from Sandringham after suffering chest pains as the royal family was preparing for Christmas. He was treated for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire and had a stent fitted.