Prince Philip Dead at 99: World Leaders and Stars React

Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Prince Philip Dead at 99: World Leaders and Stars React

Sending thoughts and prayers. Following the news of Prince Philip’s passing on Friday, April 9, people across the globe are paying their respects to the British royal family. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday that Philip had died at the age of 99. "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," the family's statement read. "The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course." The late duke is survived by Queen Elizabeth II, whom he married in 1947. The royal couple shared four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. In addition, the World War II veteran leaves behind eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Prince Harry previously revealed that his grandfather was the first member of the royal family to meet newborn Archie in May 2019. The British royal was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London as a “precautionary measure” in February after feeling ill. "The Duke of Edinburgh will remain in the hospital, on a doctor’s recommendation, for a few days," the palace noted in a statement to Us at the time. Philip was previously hospitalized in December 2019 but was released a few days later. Before Philip's death, it was reported that Harry and Meghan were expected to reunite with the queen, 94, for the first time since they officially stepped back from their senior royal duties in March 2020. The couple, who wed in May 2018, relocated to California after announcing in January 2020 that they were taking time away from their royal responsibilities. [jwplayer FQ4RDv0R] Per The Sunday Times, Harry and Meghan planned to attend the queen's 95th birthday celebration and the Trooping the Colour parade in June. Royal aides told the newspaper that because the event is both official and a family occasion, the duo were expected to show, but the parade was later postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The ongoing pandemic will also make planning Philip's funeral more challenging. A source exclusively revealed on Friday that the queen is "heartbroken" over the loss of her husband and has already begun solidifying details of the memorial. Though international travel is restricted due to coronavirus precautions, the monarch "wants Harry to be there." The source continued, "Harry is hopeful that he'll be able to return home to honor his grandfather, who he had a close bond with." Philip, for his part, retired from his royal duties in August 2017. Before the end of his tenure, he had completed more than 22,000 solo engagements, making him the longest-serving consort of a British sovereign. In November 2020, the Duke of Edinburgh and Elizabeth celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary and became the longest-married couple in British royal history. Scroll through to see how the late royal is being remembered around the world. [podcast_block]

Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Prince Philip Dead at 99: World Leaders and Stars React

Sending thoughts and prayers. Following the news of Prince Philip’s passing on Friday, April 9, people across the globe are paying their respects to the British royal family. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday that Philip had died at the age of 99. "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," the family's statement read. "The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course." The late duke is survived by Queen Elizabeth II, whom he married in 1947. The royal couple shared four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. In addition, the World War II veteran leaves behind eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Prince Harry previously revealed that his grandfather was the first member of the royal family to meet newborn Archie in May 2019. The British royal was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London as a “precautionary measure” in February after feeling ill. "The Duke of Edinburgh will remain in the hospital, on a doctor’s recommendation, for a few days," the palace noted in a statement to Us at the time. Philip was previously hospitalized in December 2019 but was released a few days later. Before Philip's death, it was reported that Harry and Meghan were expected to reunite with the queen, 94, for the first time since they officially stepped back from their senior royal duties in March 2020. The couple, who wed in May 2018, relocated to California after announcing in January 2020 that they were taking time away from their royal responsibilities. [jwplayer FQ4RDv0R] Per The Sunday Times, Harry and Meghan planned to attend the queen's 95th birthday celebration and the Trooping the Colour parade in June. Royal aides told the newspaper that because the event is both official and a family occasion, the duo were expected to show, but the parade was later postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The ongoing pandemic will also make planning Philip's funeral more challenging. A source exclusively revealed on Friday that the queen is "heartbroken" over the loss of her husband and has already begun solidifying details of the memorial. Though international travel is restricted due to coronavirus precautions, the monarch "wants Harry to be there." The source continued, "Harry is hopeful that he'll be able to return home to honor his grandfather, who he had a close bond with." Philip, for his part, retired from his royal duties in August 2017. Before the end of his tenure, he had completed more than 22,000 solo engagements, making him the longest-serving consort of a British sovereign. In November 2020, the Duke of Edinburgh and Elizabeth celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary and became the longest-married couple in British royal history. Scroll through to see how the late royal is being remembered around the world. [podcast_block]

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Barack Obama

The A Promised Land author tweeted, "Through his extraordinary example, His Royal Highness Prince Philip proved that true partnership has room for both ambition and selflessness — all in service of something greater. Our thoughts are with Her Majesty the Queen, the Royal Family and the British people."

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Joe Biden

"On behalf of the United States, we send our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the entire royal family and all the people of the United Kingdom on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh," the 47th president of the United States said in a statement on Friday, praising the late veteran who "saw our world change dramatically and repeatedly" throughout his 99 years. "[We] are keeping the Queen and Prince Philip's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in our hearts during this time."

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Justin Trudeau

The Canadian prime minister honored "a man of great purpose and conviction" with a lengthy statement posted to Twitter. "Prince Philip contributed so much to the social fabric of our country - and the world," Trudeau continued. "Prince Philip will be remembered as a decorated naval officer, a dedicated philanthropist, and a constant in the life of Queen Elizabeth II. The thoughts of all Canadians are with her and the entire Royal Family as they mourn this significant loss."

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Boris Johnson

The U.K. prime minister reflected on Philip's "extraordinary life" in a social media statement on Friday. "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. We are a kingdom united in both grief and gratitude; grief at Prince Philip's passing and gratitude for his decades of selfless service to the country." 

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Lisa Vanderpump

The Bravo personality reposted several tributes to the late duke on Friday, tweeting, "I am so sad about this, it truly was a love affair."

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Emmanuel Macron

The French president sent well wishes to the British royals via Twitter, heralding Philip as an inspiration "who lived an exemplary life defined by bravery, a sense of duty and commitment to the youth and the environment."

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'The Crown' Team

"Netflix, Left Bank Pictures, Sony Pictures Television and the production team on The Crown are deeply saddened to hear of the death of The Duke of Edinburgh," a statement from the streaming platform read on Friday. "Our thoughts are with the entire Royal Family at this sad time." The Netflix original series inspired by the British royals debuted in 2016, with Matt Smith portraying Philip for the first two seasons and Tobias Menzies taking over during seasons 3 and 4.