Prince Philip, husband to Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 99

The Duke of Edinburgh was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years.
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Prince Philip, husband to Queen Elizabeth II and the longest-serving royal consort in British history, has died at the age of 99.

Philip married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and their 73-year marriage made him the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

The Queen and Prince Philip marked their 73rd wedding anniversary last November. They released a photograph of themselves opening a card made for them by Prince William and Kate’s children.

Philip rarely made public appearances in recent years, but he did attend the private wedding of his granddaughter Princess Beatrice in Windsor last July. It was believed to be the first time the royal couple attended a family gathering since the beginning of the lockdown. Later that same month, the duke took part in a ceremony at Windsor to hand over his role of colonel-in-chief of The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Middleton.

Prince Philip, who would have turned 100 in June, retired from his royal duties in 2017 and spent the majority his days since at Windsor Castle with his wife, Queen Elizabeth II.

Philip had dealt with a long list of health issues over the last decade. He was most recently admitted to hospital on February 16 for "feeling unwell," and was later transferred to another hospital across London for treatment for an infection and observation for a pre-existing heart condition. He was also hospitalized in December 2019 for what the palace said was “a planned treatment for a pre-existing condition,” spending four nights at the King Edward VII Hospital. He also spent two nights in the same hospital in 2017 and was hospitalized for 10 days in 2018 for a hip replacement. 

In 2011, Philip was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains, where he was treated for a blocked coronary artery. He received treatment for various other health conditions over the years, including a bladder infection in 2012 and exploratory surgery on his abdomen in June 2013.

The Queen, 94, and Philip received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in early January from a household doctor at Windsor Castle. The couple celebrated Christmas quietly at their Berkshire residence, instead of their traditional family gathering at the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Prince Philip is survived by his wife Queen Elizabeth II and children Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew.


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