The Queen's Heartbreaking Tribute On Prince Philip's Death
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband to Queen Elizabeth, died on April 9, 2021, according to CNN. Since then, tributes from around the world have flooded in. Buckingham Palace issued a statement confirming Prince Philip's passing early on the 9th, but largely stayed quiet until today.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip recently celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary, according to Today, which is an extraordinary feat under any circumstances. The pair were together for most of their lives; they were partners in nearly every way two people can be.
In 1997, Queen Elizabeth gave a speech in which she praised her husband for both his service to Britain and for the strength he has provided for her. Today, the royal family shared part of that speech again in a moving tribute to the Duke. "He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know" (via Instagram).
Prince Philip was devoted to serving and supporting his wife
For nearly their entire married life, Prince Philip's job was to support and serve his wife, the Queen of England. As the royal family noted on their Instagram account, "The Duke was a devoted consort (companion to the Sovereign) for almost 70 years, from Her Majesty's Accession in 1952 until his death."
While Prince Philip carried his duty well, much has been made of his initial reluctance to carry out the role. While he seemed happy to serve his wife, the Duke made comments throughout the years that indicated had she not been the Queen, things would have been very different. "As far as I am concerned, there has never been an 'if only' except, perhaps, that I regret not having been able to continue a career in the navy" (via The Guardian).
Prince Philip was well aware of what was required of him. His first private secretary, Michael Parker, told The Guardian, "He told me the first day he offered me my job that his job first, second and last was never to let her down."