The tragic death of Prince Philip, British Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was announced by Buckingham Palace on Friday, April 9. 

Prince Philip was credited with being the “longest serving royal consort in British history” as he reigned for over 60 of his 73 years of marriage to the queen. He also served in World War II and was one of the last surviving veterans of the historic event. 

For the somber occasion, British media directed a large portion of its content to the prince’s death. In fact, popular British media source BBC News received a “deluge of complaints” for the amount of uninterrupted mournful coverage of the prince’s death. The BBC broadcasted his death on two separate channels and various radio stations, causing the postponement of the finale of the cooking show MasterChef and the drama East-Enders. 

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, said that the prince “inspired the lives of countless young people” and described the nation as “a kingdom united in grief and gratitude.” He gave a statement honoring the prince’s accomplishments titled “Ethic of Service.” 

Queen Elizabeth entered an eight-day mourning period to grieve for her husband and take a break from her royal duties. As per royal tradition, the rest of the country took 10 days of mourning, but the royal family itself will take 30 days to grieve. It is certainly a huge loss for the royal family and the nation itself, but his contributions will live on.

Prince Philip’s funeral was held this past Saturday, April 17, at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. The event lasted 50 minutes and was televised and broadcasted via live stream. Because of COVID-19 protocols, attendance was limited to 30 people and social distancing guidelines were strictly enforced. The Queen was separated from the rest of her family at the service. 

Amidst royal drama, Prince William (Duke of Cambridge) and Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex) were instructed to separate from one another at the funeral. Tensions remain high after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle left the royal family after a revelatory interview with Oprah Winfrey on CBS. However, the brothers had to leave their disputes aside and support their grandmother during this difficult time. 

With the loss of her beloved husband and partner in service, Queen Elizabeth II must now rely on other companions to assist her. This grief extends to the entire nation that has lost an honorable consort, trooper, and environmentalist. However, the prince’s legacy will live on through his contributions to the environment, scientific research, industry, and the kingdom.