By the Chief Editor
Rajagriha, 10 April 2021:
His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms and the longest-serving British royal consort, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 99, announced the Buckingham Palace.
Born on 10 June 1921 as a member of then Greek royal family to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, the fourth son of King George I of the Hellenes and Princess Alice of Battenberg, daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg, he was entitled to the rights and styles of that of a prince of Greece and Denmark. However, it was not as he was destined to, his family was exiled when he was barely eighteen months old and he spent much of his childhood in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, prior to joining the Royal Navy in 1939 at the age of 18. It was in 1939, when the young Prince Philip first met his future wife, then Princess Elizabeth. He served in the royal navy during the Second World War and discharged his highest services to the nation as a naval serviceman. Following the end of the war, he was granted permission to marry his beloved, Princess Elizabeth who was then heiress presumptive to the throne. The couple got married on 20 November 1947 and Philip was needed to abandon his Greek royal titles, styles and rights to succession and he became a naturalised British subject by adopting his maternal surname of "Mountbatten". On the morning of their wedding, he was granted the title of the "Duke of Edinburgh", which was inherited by his eldest son, the Prince of Wales following his death, and also the dignity of a Prince of the United Kingdom. The couple went on to have four children - Charles, Prince of Wales (born 1948); Anne, Princess Royal (born 1950); Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born 1960) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (born 1964).
The Royal Standard used by the Duke of Edinburgh between 1947 and 2021.
However, the biggest turn of events happened in February 1952, when the couple still on their Commonwealth tour had to return back to the United Kingdom following the sudden death of then King George VI with Princess Elizabeth, the Duchess of Edinburgh being Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms and Prince Philip being the consort of the monarch. With new set of roles, came new duties in their personal life. As consort to the Queen, Philip supported his wife in her new duties as sovereign, accompanying her to ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament in various countries, state dinners, and tours abroad. Prince Philip performed a lot of solo engagements serving on honorary positions in the British and Commonwealth military. He took in-depth interests in various fields of art, culture, sports and other human endeavours. It was under him that the Coronation Ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II was broadcasted live on television and also established "The Duke of Edinburgh's Award" in 1956. He served as the International President of the World Wildlife Fund between 1981 and 1996. It was on the occasion of his 90th birthday, that the Queen bestowed him with the title of "Lord High Admiral" in the recognition of his extraordinary and outstanding services to the nation and the Royal Navy.
It was in 2017, Prince Philip retired from his royal duties meeting the Royal Marines in his final solo public engagement. On 20 November 2017, he celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary with the Queen, which made her the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary. He still continued to join the Queen and the royal family on special family engagements, including the weddings of their grandson Prince Harry and granddaughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrix.
However, as it is destined for all, that every beginning has an end, their happily married life ended with the passing away of his multi-faceted figure on 9 April 2021 at the age of 99, barely two months before his 100th birthday. The statement from the Buckingham Palace shocked the world as the Duke was released from hospital earlier on 16 March 2021 after being successfully operated for an existing heart ailment.
The palace statement read:
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. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.
The passing away of the Duke of Edinburgh ushered into a period of mourning not only in the macronational sphere, but also in the micronational community, with leaders condoling his death and remembering his remarkable services to the world community. Statements were released by heads of state and other leaders, also nations joining the United Kingdom in entering into a period of mourning for the late prince. A notable few statements and events are mentioned below.
In a statement from the royal palace of Vishwamitra, the Rashtradhyaksh remarked the Duke of Edinburgh as a promoter of peace and harmony. The State of Vishwamitra also announced for a three-day period of mourning in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh. The formal statement addressed to Her Majesty the Queen read as follows:
On behalf of the royal family, the government of Vishwamitra and the people and on my personal behalf, I convey our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the members of the British royal family and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on the sad demise of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. His distinguished career in the military and services during the World War shall forever be remembered by the people who were associated with him and all his admirers. His contributions in the promotion of peace and prosperity and hard work for the nation shall be remembered.
The Empire of Austenasia mourned the late Prince Philip in a being released by Emperor Jonathan I and Prime Minister John Gordon on their official Facebook page.
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh aged 99. Our thoughts and prayers are with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her family, and the people of the Commonwealth.
The Karno-Ruthenian Empire mourned the demise of the Prince in a public statement issued from their official twitter handle. In addition, the Emperor-King Oscar I issued a royal decree for observing a three day period of mourning in the nation to honour the deceased.
We wish to convey our compassion and solidarity to the House of Windsor for the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Emperor of the Ovrestlian Empire, a micronation from the birth place of the late Prince condolenced the passing away of the Prince in a formal announcement made on their official media platform.
Today, I declare an period of mourning from today until 17 April 2021, due to the death of Duke of Edinburgh & Consort of Her Majesty the Queen Elisabeth II of the United Kingdom. All Ovrestlian flags will be lowered to half-mast and GCC won't operate for these 8 days. Our truly greetings to the Royal Family. Rest in Peace your Royal Highness...
Statements were released from other royal houses and heads of state, including a statement from the King of Queensland addressed to Queen Elizabeth II, which stated:
Your Majesty, I wish to represent the people of Queensland. I express my condolences to the death of the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. I feel condolences to Your Majesty and the Royal Family. Prince Philip is an excellent prince. I still remember when Your Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Kingdom of Thailand. It is a picture that I will never forget in my heart. I would like to show my damage once again. He will be remembered all over the world. He is "the best prince" to her Majesty, the royal family and the people of Britain. We will remember Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and will always remember him.
The Kingdom of Queensland also declared a long period of mourning for 15 days in honour of the late Prince, with officials and royals being instructed to wear black. In addition, the King announced that he being posthumously inducted to the nation's top honours including appointment as an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Queensland Navy.
The Kingdom of Sildavia also released a statement on their official twitter handle in Portuguese which states:
A Sildávia lamenta o falecimento de S.A.R o Duque de Edimburgo, e S.M a Rainha Maria envia seus pesares a S.M a Rainha Elizabeth II e sua família por sua perda.
Translation in English:
Sildavia regrets the death of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, and HM Queen Maria sends her regrets to HM Queen Elizabeth II and her family for their loss.
The royal couple of Hrafnarfjall published an official statement honouring the late Duke of Edinburgh. In addition the monarchs order for the national flag to fly at half-mast beginning yesterday until his funeral. The statement issued is as follows:
With great sadness and sorrow, We learn of the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. We, the House of Bainbridge and the People of Hrafnarfjall send our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the House of Windsor and the People of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the People of the Commonwealth on his death. Prince Philip’s life was marked upmost by his constant companionship of Her Majesty and his firm support and strength. Furthermore, His distinguished and faithful service in the Armed Forces during the Second World War contributed to the promotion of peace and security in the world. His Royal Highness will be missed, and once again we send our condolences to Her Majesty and her family.
The Grand Duke of Litvania, HRH Frederick I of the Cheskgariyan-Litvanian Commonwealth issued a formal statement on behalf of the nation and the government:
The news of the death of The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh comes to me with great shock and sorrow, and I join all people around the world and our British friends in mourning the loss of an extraordinary public servant and very special character. May Almighty God bless his soul.
The Archducal Household of Mimas also condoled the passing away of Prince Philip in a statement issued by Archduke Christoph II on their official twitter handle.
The Royal Household and I were deeply saddened by the news of His Royal Highness Duke of Edinburgh's death. Prince Philip has been an integral part of the British monarchy for many decades and will be missed. We offer our sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the people of the United Kingdom.
The Istrian President published a formal statement on their twitter handle:
Today on the 9th of April 2021, the President has learned with great sorrow that His Majesty, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, has died peacefully in his sleep at Windsor Castel. The Presidential Family transmits all the great condolences to the British Royal Family and recognizes that this is indeed a great national sorrow. As President I will decree national mourning 10 days. The Presidential Administrations and official institutions logos will be changed with the mourning ones. May Prince Phillipe be remembered as the one who fought for the environment and as the military responsible person that he was, may he be remembered as the great prince that was contemporary with as.
The Paloman President, Aidan McGrath also wrote a message of condolences on the online condolence book opened by the Buckingham Palace, which states:
I am deeply saddened over the announcement of the passing of HRH Consort Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh. I send my deepest sympathies to the Her Majesty, the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom and its commonwealth realms and dependencies. The Duke of Edinburgh was a pioneer in nature preservation, worked graciously with many charities and served in both the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres in the efforts against evil. May he be remember for these success in his life and his over 70 years of dedication to the country and Her Majesty. May his soul rest in peace.
The Governorate of Græcia announced a period of mourning in their nation, with an official statement from the Governor's office.
Græcia is entering a period of mourning. All flags on public buildings will be lowered to half-mast, in order to honour the memory of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip of Hellas and Denmark, Duke of Edinburgh, who died today, aged 99.
The monarchs of Imvrassia, Ikonia, Monmark, Begon and some other nations also condoled the demise of the Prince and also observed mourning in their respective nations in honour of the prince.