Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband of 74 years, has died at the age of 99. Buckingham Palace confirmed the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in a release Friday morning. “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty the Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” reads a Palace statement. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.” Earlier this year, the duke had been admitted to a hospital in London for an infection and to monitor his pre-existing heart condition. After undergoing heart surgery, he was discharged in mid-March. Details regarding his funeral were not immediately released, but Sky News reports that the queen will sign off on final plans in the coming days, adding that the duke requested a royal ceremonial funeral rather than a state funeral.
Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1921, he was raised in France and the U.K. before attending the Royal Naval College and entering the Royal Navy in 1939. He served in the Second World War, making his way up the ranks to Marshal of the Royal Air Force. In 1947, he married Elizabeth, who would become Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. He became the the longest-serving British consort in 2009. Together, they had four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, including Princes William and Harry, and ten great-grandchildren.
Prince Philip’s inner life is dramatized on the fictional Netflix series The Crown, where he is played by Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies for the first four seasons. Jonathan Pryce will take over the role for seasons five and six. “Netflix, Left Bank Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, and the production team on The Crown are deeply saddened to hear of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh,” the show’s team said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the royal family at this sad time.”
