The Passing of Prince Philip

On Friday, April 9, 2021, news struck the world that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband to the Queen of England, passed away at the age of 99. He laid to rest peacefully with his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, beside him. Prior to his passing he was able to spend time with his children as they all were vaccinated earlier this year, but relations with other family members were cut due to COVID protocols. 

In the afternoon, on the day of the Prince’s passing, Buckingham Palace delivered the emotional announcement. BBC News later covered the news and regretfully sent out their article which started with, "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband.” 

Prior to his death, Prince Philip had been hospitalized multiple times in the past year. His most recent hospitalization was in February, in which he was admitted to King Edward VII's hospital in central London. His hospitalization was unrelated to COVID, but due to other complications triggered by his past and recent procedures. Here he remained hospitalized for approximately a month, making this his longest hospitalization. 

Due to the pandemic that has shut down the world, there was no state funeral held for Prince Philip. Instead, a condensed funeral was held at St.George’s Chapel the Saturday following his death. Only intimate members of the royal family were allowed such as the Queen, Prince Charles, his wife, Camilla, Prince William, and Prince Harry. 

The New York Times noted that in the funeral arrangements sent out by the Castle it said, “and it is regretfully requested that members of the public do not attempt to attend or participate in any of the events that make up the funeral.”

The service lasted approximately one hour. Following the service, his body was transported to the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel. His body is  buried in this location for the time being, but  will be transferred elsewhere at a later date. Once the Queen passes, she will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. Philip will then be moved beside her. 

On the week of May 3rd, roughly a month after his death, Prince Philip's cause of death was officially confirmed. People Magazine announced that, “The 99-year-old royal died of "old age," according to The Telegraph, which reportedly obtained his death certificate.” Due to his age the term “old age” is justifiable as a cause of death and the physician is allowed to list it as long as they have cared for the deceased for a long period of time. 

The mourning period which typically lasts eight days following the death of a royal family member is over now. It has been about a month since Philip's death and the Queen has reported back to duty. She will continue her reign alone with the support of other royal family members. She will spend time with her children who were luckily able to all see Philip before his passing since they were able to get vaccinated early in the year.  Prince Philip who was modest, humor-filled, loving, and much more may be gone, but will never be forgotten by millions globally.