All the tributes from the Royal Family to Prince Philip so far
Members of the Royal Family have been paying tribute to Prince Philip
Last updated 12th Apr 2021
Members of the Royal Family having been paying tribute to Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, who died on Friday at the age of 99.
The latest tribute comes from the Duke's grandson and future King, Prince William, who spoke of his grandfather's kindness to his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.
"My grandfather was an extraordinary man"
The statement reads: “My grandfather’s century of life was defined by service – to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and Queen, and to our family.
“I feel lucky to have not just had his example to guide me, but his enduring presence well into my own adult life – both through good times and the hardest days. I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her. I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humour!
“My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation. Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also released a previously unseen picture of their son, Prince George, with his great-grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh.
"Master of the barbecue, legend of banter"
Meanwhile, the Duke of Cambridge's brother, Prince Harry, has returned to British soil and is in quarantine ahead of his grandfather's funeral on Saturday.
In a statement released via his foundation, Archewell, the Duke of Sussex thanked his "Grandpa" who was a "rock" to "Granny".
The statement reads: “My grandfather was a man of service, honour and great humour. He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm—and also because you never knew what he might say next.
"He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end.
"He has been a rock for Her Majesty The Queen with unparalleled devotion, by her side for 73 years of marriage, and while I could go on, I know that right now he would say to all of us, beer in hand, ‘Oh do get on with it!’
"So, on that note, Grandpa, thank you for your service, your dedication to Granny, and for always being yourself. You will be sorely missed, but always remembered—by the nation and the world. Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts."
It concluded “‘Per Mare, Per Terram’”, which is the motto of the Royal Marines and means "by sea, by land".
"My dear Papa was a very special person"
Their father, Prince Charles, is the Duke of Edinburgh's oldest son and next in line to the throne.
Speaking of his "dear Papa", the Prince of Wales said: "My father, for the last 70 years, has given the most devoted service to the Queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth."
He added: "My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view, we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that."
"My teacher, my supporter and my critic"
Prince Philip was thought to have a close relationship with his only daughter, Princess Anne, who described her father has her teacher, supporter and critic and said she hoped to mirror his "example of a life well lived".
She also paid credit to his "ability to treat every person as an individual in their own right with their own skills" which "comes through all the organisations with which he was involved."
The Duke's death has left "a huge void" in the Queen's life
Prince Andrew, who stepped back from Royal duties in 2019, dubbed his father the "grandfather of the nation" whose passing had, in the words of the Queen, "left a huge void in her life."
He made the comments after attending a morning service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints on Sunday morning with his younger brother Edward.
Meanwhile, Prince Edward spoke of the "dreadful shock" of losing his father: "No matter how much one tries to prepare one's self for something like this, it's still a dreadful shock and we're trying to come to terms with that. It's very very sad."
He added: "He might have been our father, grandfather, father-in-law, but he meant so much to so many other people."
Prince Philip, a life in pictures
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.
Read more:
The legacy of the Duke of Edinburgh Award
Looking back at Prince Philip's charity work
Prince Philip: The longest serving consort