Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attends the official unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial by Queen Elizabeth II at Green Park on June 28, 2012 in London, England. The memorial, designed by Liam O Connor and unveiled at a ceremony attended by veterans and families of the deceased, remembers the 55,573 airmen of Bomber Command who lost their lives in the Second World War. Photo by John Stillwell /WPA Pool/Getty Images
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LONDON Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband and a pivotal figure in the British royal family for almost seven decades, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
The Duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known, had been by his wife’s side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history. During that time he earned a reputation for a tough, no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for occasional gaffes.
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He was the love of her life, her Prince Charming and staunchest ally, the dashing naval officer who sacrificed his own career and often, his manly pride so he could walk two paces behind and serve his Queen for more than seven decades.
The longest-serving royal consort in history, the Duke of Edinburgh died Friday morning at the age of 99, just four years into retirement after only giving up his day job in 2017. A workaholic of astounding stamina, he’d carried out more than 22,219 solo engagements and more than 630 solo visits overseas.
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