Prince Phillip, 99, passes away

More stories from Andres Garcia

Royal Drama
April 1, 2021

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died at the age of 99, two months before his 100th birthday, on 9 April, at Windsor castle. His cause of death has not been said by the royal family however, an official statement from the castle said he “died peacefully”. Whenever a royal member dies, Operation Forth Bridge, a plan detailing procedures including the list of information, national mourning, and his funeral goes into effect.

Although Prince Philip was old, he had many health problems. In 2012, he was admitted to the hospital with a bladder infection. He had surgery on his abdomen in June 2013 and underwent hip replacement surgery in April 2018. On 1 March, the Duke was sent to St Bartholomew’s Hospital and on 3 March, he underwent a procedure for his existing heart condition. On 5 March, he was transferred back to King Edward’s, and on 16 March, he was released and returned to Windsor Castle.

The Duke’s funeral was on 17 April 2021 in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Duke was given a royal ceremonial funeral, not a state funeral, which is usually reserved for monarchs. The prince wanted a small ceremony with minimal people and “fuss.”

Friday marks the end of a two-week period of mourning for the British royal family following the death of Prince Philip. Following his passing, Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II ordered two weeks of mourning from the date of her husband’s death. This 14-day period was carried out by members of the royal family and their households. Others could also join in if they wanted to. Although this was a time for mourning, the queen suggested that the royal family members would continue undertaking engagements that were right for the occasion while  wearing mourning bands during the the 14 day period.