“His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, the man who has been the Queen’s steadfast support for more than seven decades, has died. The duke, who returned to Windsor Castle three weeks ago after a month in hospital, died on Friday morning two months before his hundredth birthday… Buckingham 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 Times
Obituaries:
>Today:
“Boris Johnson has cancelled his first post-lockdown pint on Monday as all Government business is to be halted following the death of Prince Philip. The PM had planned to visit the barber’s and then the pub to mark the country reaching the next stage of his roadmap out of lockdown. But the plans have been scrapped as politics enters a period of mourning for the Duke, who passed away today aged 99. All ministerial appearances, including media interviews, will be shelved for the foreseeable future. And the UK’s major parties have agreed to stop campaigning against each other out of respect for the situation. The PM was informed of the Prince’s death this morning while he was working at No 10, and made a statement in Downing St shortly afterwards.” – The Sun
>Yesterday:
“Britain has entered eight days of mourning for the Duke of Edinburgh during which flags will be flown at half mast, TV presenters will wear black and Parliament will pass no new laws. Between now and Prince Philip’s funeral, the Queen will not carry out any duties either in public or in private, and any new laws requiring Royal Assent will not be sent to her for approval. Churches and public buildings have been told not to open books of condolence for the Duke because of Covid restrictions. Official Government guidance says an online book of condolence, opened on the Royal family’s official website on Friday night, should be the sole portal for the public to express their personal tributes. National mourning will last until 8am on the day after the Duke’s funeral, with all official flags, including the Union flag, to be flown at half mast on Government buildings.” – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: The Duke of Edinburgh’s sad death is a sign that our Elizabethan era is coming to an end
“Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer have agreed to suspend campaigning in the local elections following the death of Prince Philip. The Prime Minister spoke to the leader of the opposition following his speech outside No10 today and the pair agreed that they will both stop campaigning activities, sources said. The Commons is also expected to be recalled on Monday for tributes from around 2.30pm. Meanwhile, Scotland’s major political parties have also suspended campaigning for the Holyrood election. Voters will head to the polls on May 6 for council and mayoral positions in England, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament… Ministers are expected to cease taking part in the daily morning media round and Sunday political shows during the period of mourning and Downing Street press conferences have also been suspended.” – Evening Standard
“Former leaders also expressed their sadness at the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. Theresa May, who stood down as prime minister in 2019, said her “thoughts and prayers” were with the Queen and her family. She told the BBC that Prince Philip had “a dry sense of humour” and was “a man of so many different interests”, adding: “I will remember him… as somebody who put those talents to the committed and selfless service of the Queen and her country.” Her predecessor and fellow Conservative, David Cameron, called it “desperately sad news”, adding: “It was an honour and a privilege as prime minister to see up close what a powerful advocate the duke was for the causes he believed in.”” – BBC
“President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have led US tributes to Prince Philip following his death at the age of 99. In addition to a formal statement released by the White House on Friday morning, Mr Biden made some brief comments to reporters during an Oval Office meeting in the afternoon. He said: “Jill and I and the entire administration send our condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the loss of Prince Philip. He was a heck of a guy.” The president noted “his bravery, serving in World War Two, as well as his being champion of the environment as well as the charitable things he set up.” He added: “I think he’s going to be missed, particularly in the United Kingdom. 99 years old and never slowed down at all, which I admire the devil out of.”” – The Independent
“As one senior royal counsellor puts it, Prince Philip brought ‘red corpuscules’ to the institution of monarchy. Hereditary systems tend to grow weak and inward-looking. Prince Philip was neither: he was mentally and physically tough. If he had not married Princess Elizabeth, he would surely have become an admiral. He wanted things to be shipshape, unfussy, practical, prepared for storms. His office worked like clock-work. He answered every letter at once. He was decisive, direct, unbedazzled by grandeur, unpompous. He knew that the modern world was a hard place for monarchy, but it held no fears for him, and he tried unsentimentally to adapt the institution to the age. He was probably more aware of this need than the Queen herself, who knew no other milieu.” – Daily Telegraph
“Ten thousand miles away, someone will have to break the news to the village of Younanen that the second coming is not going to happen. There, in the tiny community on the South Pacific island of Tanna, part of Vanuatu, villagers have for decades revered the Duke of Edinburgh as the son of a local mountain god who would one day return. People would pray to the duke daily, asking for his blessing on the banana and yam crops. “If he comes one day, the people will not be poor, there will be no sickness, no debt and the garden will grow very well,” Jack Malia, the village chief, said in 2017. Exactly how the Prince Philip Movement started is shrouded in obscurity.” – The Times
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