This is how old Prince Philip was when he passed away - as Palace issues statement

The Duke of Edinburgh has died at the age of 99 (Photo: Getty Images)
The Duke of Edinburgh has died at the age of 99 (Photo: Getty Images)
The Duke of Edinburgh has died at the age of 99 (Photo: Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace has today (9 April) announced the death of the the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Duke, who was also known as Prince Philip, was married to Queen Elizabeth II and was the longest-serving consort in British history.

The Palace confirmed in a statement that Philip passed away peacefully on Friday (9 April) morning at Windsor Castle.

He had recently spent a month-long stay in hospital after receiving care for an infection, and later underwent heart surgery for a pre-existing condition, but was reunited with the Queen in mid-March following the successful procedure.

He spent much of the Covid-19 crisis staying with the Queen at Windsor in HMS Bubble – the nickname given to the couple’s reduced household of devoted staff during lockdown.

How old was Prince Philip?

Prince Philip was born on 10 June 1921 and died at the age of 99.

He was born to parents Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg on the Greek Island of Corfu, and was a prince of Greece and Denmark.

He was exiled from Greece as a child and grew up in France, Germany and the UK.

Prince Philip’s battle with illness and hospital surgery

Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday morning at Windsor Castle.

The Palace said in a statement: “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.

“Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

The Duke’s death comes in the midst of the worst public health crisis for generations, with countries across the globe affected by the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

How long was he married to the Queen?

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II were distant cousins and both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

The couple attended some of the same events in their youth but had their first publicised meeting in 1939 when Philip was aged 18 and Princess Elizabeth was 13.

The princess’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, had taken her and her sister, Princess Margaret, to visit the naval college in Dartmouth and cadet Philip was assigned to entertain the princesses.

Philip and Elizabeth’s engagement was announced in July 1947 and the royal wedding took place on 20 November 1947 in London’s Westminster Abbey.

Five years after they married, in 1952, George VI died and Elizabeth became the monarch.

Together they had four children, Prince Charles, now the Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, now the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, now the Duke of York, and Prince Edward, now the Earl of Wessex.

The couple would have been married 74 year this November.

What did he do for the royal family?

Philip dedicated decades of his life to royal duty and is known for supporting the Queen through her reign, serving the nation at her side and carrying out thousands of royal engagements.

For decades he was also involved with hundreds of charities, and set up The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award youth adventure scheme.

He officially retired from public engagements in the summer of 2017.

In April 2020, Philip released his first major statement since his retirement, praising key workers including refuse and postal staff, for keeping essential services running during the pandemic.

He was also pictured with the monarch at the Berkshire castle to mark his 99th birthday on 10 June, at the secret lockdown wedding of his granddaughter Princess Beatrice on 17 July and with the Queen to mark their 73rd wedding anniversary in November.