Buckinghamshire reacts to the death of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh
His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle
Last updated 10th Apr 2021
People across Buckinghamshire have been reacting the news that Prince Philip has passed away.
Buckingham Palace made the announcement this lunchtime.
Conservative MP for Aylesbury Rob Butler posted on Twitter:
"The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is desperately sad news & will be profoundly felt by the entire nation, but most especially by Her Majesty.
"He was a rock at the Queen's side throughout her reign and his life was duty personified. Deepest condolences to the entire Royal family."
READ MORE: Looking back at Prince Philip's incredible charity work
Aylesbury Labour have also posted:
"We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Prince Philip, may he rest in peace.
"Our thoughts are with Her Majesty and all the royal family at this incredibly sad time."
READ MORE: The legacy of the Duke of Edinburgh award
Chesham councillor Mark Shaw posted a tribute, too:
Buckingham's MP Greg Smith said:
"A remarkable man who dedicated his life to public service.
"Thoughts and prayers with HM The Queen and the whole Royal Family.
"May His Royal Highness rest in peace."
Buckinghamshire Council is sending its "deepest condolences to the Royal Family on behalf of the residents of Buckinghamshire".
Flags will be flying at half-mast at the council offices in Amersham, Aylesbury, Denham and High Wycombe from today (9 April) until after the funeral has taken place.
Books of condolence will be available and a two-minute silence observed, once the Royal Household has confirmed its arrangements.
Meanwhile Thames Valley Police Chief Constable John Campbell said:
"It is with great regret that we have learned today of the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
"The Duke of Edinburgh is the longest serving British consort and Thames Valley Police has had the privilege to protect and serve both the Duke of Edinburgh and Her Majesty The Queen while in residence at Windsor Castle.
"We have a long and proud association with the Royal family and have had the privilege to police a number of Royal events, from the annual Windsor Garter Ceremony, to State Visits, to Her Majesty’s 90th birthday and more recently the Royal Weddings.
"On behalf of the whole of Thames Valley Police, I offer our deepest condolences to The Queen, to all of the Royal Family and members of the Royal Household."
Local organisations have been mourning the loss, too:
Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has also been paying tribute today, as HRH Prince Philip was President of ZSL from 1960 to 1977 and an Honorary Fellow since 1977.
An online statement read:
"He had a lifelong passion for wildlife and supported our Zoos, science and conservation work for many years.
"From opening exhibits, to setting up a prestigious award to encourage young conservationists, we’re so grateful to have had his enthusiasm and support."
WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport, has also offered its condolences.
His Royal Highness visited the Stoke Mandeville Stadium in 1972 to see the work of WheelPower and the Stoke Mandeville Games, forerunner of the Paralympics.
WheelPower’s President, The Hon Mrs Mark Vestey (Rosie), said:
"All of us at WheelPower join the nation in offering our sincere condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and to our Royal Patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and all of the Royal Family on the sad death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh."
The incredible life of Prince Philip
Prince Philip was born in 1921
Prince Philip of Greece was born 10 June 1921 in Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Prince Philip attended school in Scotland
The Prince was one of the first pupils at Gordonstoun boarding school in Moray, Scotland, attending from 1933-1939. He was the first of three generations of royals to attend the school, with Prince Charles boarding in the 1960s, and Princess Anne's children enrolling in the 1990s.
The engagement of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth
Prince Philip's engagement to Princess Elizabeth was announced on 9 July 1946, after he asked permission from her father, King George VI. In order to marry into the British Royal family, Prince Philip became a British citizen, and renounced his Greek title in favour of Mountbatten, the anglicised version of his mother's name. He also agreed not to invite his sisters to the wedding, as they were all married to Germans and tensions were still high following the war.
The Royal Wedding
Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. He received new titles, including the Duke of Edinburgh, for which he is best known, and his Royal Highness. It is estimated around 200 million people tuned into the BBC radio broadcast of the wedding.
First time father
In 1948, Prince Philip became a father for the first time when Princess Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles. Princess Anne was born two years later.
Consort to the monarch
King George VI died 6 February 1952, making his oldest daughter Princess Elizabeth, Queen. This made the Duke of Edinburgh consort to Queen Elizabeth II. The coronation took place on 2 June 1953 and was an important feature in making television a mainstream medium, with over 20 million people tuning in to watch.
The Duke of Edinburgh award
In 1956, Prince Philip launched the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, which aims to prepare young people for adult life by developing essential skills, confidence and resilience. Today, hundreds of thousands of young people complete the award every year across 144 nations.
Meeting JFK
In 1961, a banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in honour of American President John F Kennedy. This was the President's last visit to Buckingham Palace before he was assassinated two years later. Prince Philip attended his funeral.
A family of six
In 1960 Prince Andrew was born, followed by Prince Edward in 1964. This completed the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's immediate family.
Royal Family documentary
In 1969, a television documentary entitled 'Royal Family' aired to an audience of over 30 million in the UK, before being sold worldwide, achieving over 350 million views. However, the Queen had the documentary banned and it has not been shown on TV in the UK since 1977. The documentary offered insight into the lives of the Queen and her family in an attempt to revive public interest in the Royals.
The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
Prince Philip's oldest son, Prince Charles, married 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer on 29 July 1981. Almost 1 billion viewers tuned in across 74 countries to watch the ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral. The wedding was considered hugely important because whoever Prince Charles married would one day become Queen.
Diana, Princess of Wales' funeral
The world was shook when Diana, Princess of Wales died suddenly in a car accident in August 1997. Hundreds of thousands of well wishers lined the streets on the day of her funeral, which saw Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Diana's brother accompany Princes William and Harry in walking behind the funeral car.
Diamond wedding anniversary
In 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary- 60 years of marriage! They have since made it to their platinum anniversary, celebrating in 2017.
A family man
Prince Philip has eight grandchildren, including heir to the throne Prince William. He also has nine great-grandchildren and counting, with two more on the way in 2021.
Tipping his hat to a lifetime of service
At the age of 96, Prince Philip carried out his final solo public engagement in August 2017, before tipping his hat in acknowledgement of a lifetime of service.
Prince Philip dies aged 99
Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99 on the 9th April 2021. The Duke's funeral took place on 17 April 2021 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.