Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at the age of 99, is considered one of the prominent figures in the British royal family. He was a Greek prince when he married the queen in 1947 and played an important role in modernizing the monarchy in the post-World War II era. In a rare personal tribute in 1997, Queen Elizabeth stated in a speech marking their fiftieth wedding anniversary, "He has been my strength and stay all these years."
Philip spent four weeks in the hospital this year receiving treatment for a health issue and undergoing a heart procedure, but he returned to Windsor Castle at the beginning of March. He was a naval officer and acknowledged that it was difficult for him to give up his beloved military career to take on the role of the queen's husband, which has no clear constitutional duties.
Personally, Philip was undoubtedly the head of his family, but protocol required him to spend his public life literally one step behind his wife. After appearing over 22,000 times on his own, Philip retired from public life in 2017, although he occasionally participated in some official events. His last public appearance was in July during a military event at Windsor Castle, where he lived with the queen during the COVID-19 lockdown. The queen, now 94 years old, ascended to the British throne in 1952. She married Philip on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey, and they had four children: Prince Charles, the heir apparent, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
The death of the queen's husband and most trusted confidant will raise questions about whether she might consider abdicating the throne, but royal commentators say the chance of that happening is almost nonexistent.
