Prince Philip, husband of the U.K.’s Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away at the age of 99.
The Prince “passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” Buckingham Palace announced on its website on Friday.
Prince Philip, also known by his official title of the Duke of Edinburgh, had been hospitalized several times in recent years for various ailments, most recently in February, the palace said.
Speaking on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street, the U.K.’s Prime minister Boris Johnson said Prince Philip “helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.”
Britain has entered eight days of national mourning for the Duke of Edinburgh during which flags will be flown at half mast and Parliament will pass no new laws.
The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov sent his condolence message to Queen Elizabeth II following the death of her husband Prince Philip, the official media of Turkmenistan reports.
“In this difficult moment, I wish you fortitude, and also ask you to convey my sincere condolences and words of support to family members, as well as to the entire people of the United Kingdom,” the President Berdimuhamedov wrote in his message.
Prince Philip was born on June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu and he served in the U.K.’s Royal Navy, including during the World War II. He married Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and was by her side during her coronation to the throne in 1953. Together, they had four children, eight grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Prince Philip continued making public appearances well into his 90s, retiring from his public role only in August 2017.
