Honoring Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh, On The 2nd Anniversary Of His Passing

Apr 09, 2023

April 9, 2023, marked the second anniversary of the death of Prince Philip. Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, retired from his royal duties in 2017 at the age of 95, removing himself from the public eye. Before stepping back, he was considered one of the busiest royals, having had more than 22,000 solo appearances, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. 

However, since his retirement, his health has deteriorated. In 2018, he underwent hip surgery ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Less than a year later, Philip was also in a car accident, which led to him voluntarily relinquishing his license.

Just nine weeks before his passing, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London on Feb. 16, 2021, on a precautionary basis since he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, the prince underwent surgery for a heart condition.

Buckingham Palace released a statement following his release from the hospital on March 16, 2021, that called the procedure “successful.” Though his death came as a shock and was met with immense grief across the world, it was believed that Philip passed peacefully. 

A statement released by Buckingham Palace on April 9, 2021, said, “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh." It continued, “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

Today, we look back on Philip’s celebratory life and honor his memory. Read on to learn more about the late Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip's life was a truly remarkable one. Born on June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, Philip was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Despite his roots, the prince was primarily educated in Great Britain, where he attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland and the Royal Naval College in England. 

Following his service in World War II — Philip was a pilot for the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and Pacific — he became a British subject, which meant he had to give up his claim to Greek and Danish royalty. That same year in 1947, Philip, then 26, married then-Princess Elizabeth, who was 21, at Westminster Abbey. From then until Elizabeth’s crowning in 1953, Philip continued his military service with the Royal Navy as a commander of the Magpie, a frigate ship. 

“It’s easy to look at the military career of a royal male and see it as a rite of passage, but with Philip one needs to look beyond that,” Ashley Jackson, a professor of imperial and military history, of Philip’s military career, said. He added:

“This wasn’t a brief dalliance in the military. It’s important to note that he’s clearly an exceptional officer.”

Following Elizabeth's accession to the throne, Philip served as the consort to the queen and played an active role as a senior member of the royal family. Over the years, he carried out 22,219 solo engagements, went on 637 solo overseas visits, gave 5,496 speeches and authored 14 books. In 2017, at the age of 95 and after 64 years of service, Philip retired from his royal duties and removed himself from the public eye.

Naturally, when a person of such a stature passes away, there is some curiosity about what was left behind in the person's will for the rest of the family. However, when it comes to the royal family, there are strict rules that keep such things shrouded in secrecy. According to BBC News, Philip’s will is sealed for the next 100 years, and this means that unlike most wills granted probate, it will not be open to public inspection.

Following Philip's death in 2021, the queen announced a period of mourning that lasted two weeks. Sadly, her 95th birthday on April 21, 2021, coincided with this time. It was the first that she celebrated without her beloved husband in her nearly seven-decade reign. 

Philip’s burial took place on April 17, 2021, and due to pandemic restrictions, it was a much smaller service than had been planned, with only 30 members of the immediate royal family in attendance. This included the queen, her and Prince Philip's children — King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — and their spouses, Prince William and Princess Kate, and Prince Harry, who flew in from California and attended alone since Meghan Markle was heavily pregnant at the time.

In tribute to Philip, a memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022. The queen attended and was accompanied by her son Prince Andrew, while her family and other members of the royal family were also in attendance. The event was much larger in scale than Philip's funeral. The memorial had 1,800 people in attendance, including representatives from many of Philip’s charities. 

At the time, Express reported that the royal family arranged for the funeral to be held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where Philip's coffin was also expected to remain until the day the queen died, after which Philip would be buried alongside his wife of 73 years. After Elizabeth passed, official arrangements were executed to ensure that the couple would be buried together.

The couple’s love for each other was evident, as the queen once said of her husband:

"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years."

On April 9, 2022, the queen marked the first anniversary of her late husband’s death in a very touching way. According to TODAY, the official royal family social media accounts posted a photo montage of Philip alongside words from the poem “The Patriarchs – An Elegy” by poet laureate Simon Armitage.

Royal UK reported that the poem was dedicated to “the passing of The Duke of Edinburgh.” TODAY added that the poem was originally published on the day of Philip’s funeral.

The Clarence House also marked the anniversary with a heartfelt Instagram post that contained photos of Philip along with the caption:

“Remembering The Duke of Edinburgh today, one year since his passing.”

Prince Philip was an extraordinary man who not only had many public achievements but also private ones too. He was a strong man who carried out a litany of important duties and responsibilities over the course of his life. He was honorable as he stood beside the queen and cared for her dearly with a love that lasted until they both passed. Prince Philip’s legacy will never be forgotten.

What is your favorite memory of Prince Philip? Were you touched by how the royal family honored him in the years since his passing? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.