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– Buckingham Palace officials say Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has died. He was 99. “With deep sorrow, Her Majesty the Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” said the palace. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle this morning.” Philip spent a month in hospital earlier this year before being released on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle. Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, married Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen. He was the longest-serving consort (meaning official companion of the monarch) in British history, the AP reports.
Historian Sarah Gristwood tells NBC News that at the time his wife became queen, the British monarchy “was not equipped to face a new media era, and Prince Philip was instrumental in promoting it.” For example, he was the first of the British royals to do a TV interview and helped bring the royals to the public through TV instead of radio. He retired from public commissions in 2017 after completing more than 20,000. Philip was a member of the Greek royal family and was born on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921. He was an avid sportsman who loved outdoor activities. According to the BBC, he had four children, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. (Read more stories from Prince Philip.)