When did the Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Elizabeth II, die and how old was he?

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, was born in September 1921 and died at ninety-nine in April 2021. Just over a year later, his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away, leaving the British crown in new hands. Unlike the funeral being planned for the late Queen, Prince Phillip’s was affected in a significant way by covid-19 safety protocols. Only thirty mourners were allowed to attend, leading to one of the most famous images from the event of Queen Elizabeth II, sitting masked and alone.

The funeral of Prince Phillip

Just because there were limits on the number of attendees does not mean that the funeral was not full of royal prestige. More than 730 members of the armed forces were present at Windsor Castle throughout the occasion. During the service, which took place at St Geroge’s Chapel and was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, tribute was paid to the late Prince, who described him by his “kindness, humour and humanity.”

The life and family of Prince Phillip

The couple married in 1947 when Elizabeth was twenty-one, and Phillip was twenty-five.

Elizabeth ascended the throne five years later, in 1952, at twenty-five years old, meaning that the couple was married for most of her reign.

The couple had four children, Charles III, who has now become king, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. All of the couple’s children and grandchildren were present for Prince Phillip’s funeral, including Prince Harry, who just a year earlier had left royal life. Meghan Markle, who was pregnant at the time of the prince’s death, was not in attendance as traveling went against the advice of her doctors in the United States.

Queen Elizabeth II speaks about her husband

During the holiday season, Queen Elizabeth made a public statement, traditional of the crown, where she spoke about her grief and the loss of her husband. She began the message by saying, “Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year especially, I understand why.” Having lost her husband less than a year prior she said that she knew that “as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas,” going on to reminisce on the prince’s “capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation”.