With cannons or a minute’s silence, the United Kingdom is paying tribute to Prince Philip today, the day after announcement of the death of the wife of Queen Elizabeth II, which lost its support.
Two months before he turned 100, the Duke of Edinburgh died peacefully at Windsor Tower in west London on Friday morning. The Queen expressed her “deep sorrow” for the loss of her husband of more than 70 years and for her strong character as a home figure for generations of UK citizens and about 15 countries of which Elizabeth is head of state.
In London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Gibraltar and by Royal Navy ships at sea… cannonades will be fired at 12:00 local time (13:00 Greek time) to pay tribute to the one who became the patriarch of the British Royal family.
A minute’s silence will also be observed before the Premier League football matches.
Since last night, the bells of Westminster Abbey, where he married Elizabeth in 1947, rang 99 times, once a minute, paying tribute to the 99-year-old prince.
A photo of him, alone or accompanied by his wife, is on the front pages of the newspapers today along with the date of his birth and death: 1921-2021. The Daily Mail tabloid publishes a special 144-page tribute.
Many newspapers refer to the couple’s longevity and that Philip was “the unshakable support” of the queen, according to the Times and the Guardian, or even “her rock”, according to the Daily Star.
According to the latter, Prince Philip was also the one who “made Lilibeth laugh”, as her husband fondly called the queen.
The television networks changed their programs and the children of the late prince shared his memories in a videotaped program broadcast by the BBC.
“If you said something ambiguous, he would tell you: ‘You decide,'” said his eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Charles.
As soon as his death was announced, thousands of messages of condolence arrived from all over the world as citizens rushed to the Windsor Tower or Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s official residence in London, to lay flowers and messages of support.
His death marks the end of an era, some say, at a time when the country is looking for a new identity after Brexit.
There will be no full-fledged state funeral
Elizabeth, who will turn 95 on April 21, will now have to face only the crises that have shaken the British royal family, such as the recent criticism leveled at her by her grandson Harry and his wife Megan.
They blamed Megan for a lack of support, despite her suicidal thoughts. The former actress and her husband also said that a member of the royal family, whom they did not name, but clarified that it was neither the queen nor her husband, had wondered about the skin color of their son Archie before his birth.
It remains to be seen whether the retired couple will attend his funeral. Prince Philip.
The College of Arms, the royal company involved in enforcing the royal protocol, has announced that no funeral will be held for the late Prince Philip and no public pilgrimage will be held due to restrictions against COVID-19.
“The body of His Royal Highness will be transported to Windsor Castle for burial in St George’s Chapel. “This goes hand in hand with the tradition and wishes of the deceased,” the College of Arms said in a statement.
Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that the Queen is “considering” the arrangements for her husband’s funeral.
During this period of the coronavirus pandemic, people were asked not to go near the royal residences to avoid overcrowding, but rather to make a donation in the memory of Philip to an organization.
A condolence page was also created on the internet.
Philip, born on June 10, 1921 in Corfu with the titles of Prince of Greece and Denmark, broke in 2009 the record of the longest-serving British monarch husband.
The deceased retired from his royal duties in August 2017, having participated in 22,000 official public duties since his wife ascended the throne in 1952.
“It simply came to our notice then. “I’m old and he’ve always been there since I was born,” Christine Plail, a 75 – year – old Englishwoman, told AFP in Windsor. “I think it will be a great loss, he was such a faithful husband to the queen. He was always there, one step behind her, supporting her. “
On Elizabeth’s side, Prince Philip fulfilled thousands of public obligations until his resignation in 2017. The queen praised his devotion, publicly trusting that he was “her strength” and “support”.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
