Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip recently passed away at the age of 99. The longest-serving royal consort in British history, the Duke of Edinburgh was at the Queen’s side for more than sixty years. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump issued statements of condolences following the death. Trump praised Prince Philip as someone who personified “unbending integrity” and a person who defined British dignity and grace.
“On behalf of all the people of the United States, we send our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the entire Royal Family, and all the people of the United Kingdom on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh,” the 46th commander-in-chief said in a statement.
“Over the past few years, Melania and I were honored to have the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom. We saw firsthand how the Monarchy epitomizes and carries on the virtues of the British People—and no one did so more than Prince Philip. As we grieve his loss, we celebrate his memory and rededicate ourselves to the values to which he devoted his extraordinary life. He will be greatly missed,” Trump said in a statement. Though Biden did issue a statement of condolences, White House published it four hours after the news of the prince’s death broke out, which some pointed out was late.
The first world leader to issue a statement was Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said that the Duke of Edinburgh embodied a generation that “we will never see again.” He announced that Australia would lower its flag in honor of the prince. Other world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued condolences.
Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the person who was at the forefront of Britain’s exit from the EU, took offense at Biden administration’s delayed response in issuing a statement. Before the White House issued its delayed statement, Farage tweeted that there is “not a word from the U.S. President or his Vice” despite the fact that the American media is full of the story.
The prince was admitted to King Edward VII‘s Hospital on Feb. 16. He was later admitted to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital that specializes in cardiac care and spent his last weeks at the place. In early March, he had undergone surgery for a heart condition. Back in 2011, Philip had undergone an angioplasty and stenting procedure for treating a blocked coronary artery. He was due to celebrate his 100th birthday in June this year.
Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, praised Prince Philip as inspiring the lives of “countless young people.” Former Prime Minister John Major suggested that the prince’s death provided an “ideal opportunity” for the royal family to end the friction that has emerged among them through shared grief, which was a reference to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they had expressed pain at the way they were treated by the family.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew stated that the Duke of Edinburgh’s death has deeply affected his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. “The Queen as you would expect is an incredibly stoic person. And she described his passing as a miracle. And she’s contemplating… She described it as having left a huge void in her life… [the family is] rallying around to make sure that we’re there to support her,” Andrew said to CNN.
