Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, has died. He was 99 years old.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” said a statement from Buckingham Palace in London.
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”
Prince Philip was born in Greece into the Greek and Danish royal families, moving to the UK at a young age and serving in World War Two for the British Royal Navy from the age of 18. He was one of the last living veterans of the war.
He was known as an equestrian enthusiast, loving carriage driving. He was the longest- lived member of the British royal family. He had retired from royal duties at the age of 96.
In the global public eye, he has received renewed interest since being portrayed by Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies on Netflix’s phenomenon series The Crown, who showed a side of the Duke that the world had not seen. Smith in particular turned the man into something of a heartthrob, as the show focused on the early days of his romance with Queen Elizabeth II.
He had previously been portrayed by Stewart Grager in The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana (1982), the great Christopher Lee in Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982), David Threlfall in 2005’s The Queen’s Sister, as well as James Cromwell in the Oscar-winning film The Queen in 2006, which served as the foundation for the Netflix series, developed by the film’s screenwriter Peter Morgan.
Esquire now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Esquire Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @esquiremiddleeast Instagram and Twitter account.
