President Trump has paid tribute to Prince Philip, describing his passing on Friday morning as an “irreplaceable loss for Great Britain and for all who hold dear our civilisation.”
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband to Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at Windsor Castle on Friday morning, aged 99. As National File reported, the Duke had returned to Windsor Castle on 16th March, after spending a month at King Edward VII’s hospital in central London for treatment. He had previously undergone a procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s – another London hospital not far away.
President Trump joined dignitaries across the world in mourning the passing of Prince Philip. In a statement, President Trump professed his and Melanias “most deepest and profound condolences” for the Queen. The statement said that the Duke of Edinburgh “embodied the noble soul and proud spirit of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth,” and that his passing was “an irreplaceable loss for Great Britain, and for all who hold dear our civilisation.”
The statement noted Prince Philip’s service during the Second World War, when “in Britain’s darkest hour, he put his life in the line for God, country, and the values of freedom and self-government that forever unite America and the United Kingdom.” It added that his greatest legacy will likely be his “exceptional example of service, constancy, and patriotism,” and that President Trump and his wife Melania were “honoured” to see firsthand how Prince Philip and the Monarchy “epitomises and carries on the virtues of the British people.”
The Duke, who holds the record as the longest-serving consort of a British monarch in history, having been married to the Queen for over 70 years, was well known for his colourful personality, and speaking his mind, and was beloved by many for his charm and wit. He was once described as “the only man in the world who treats the Queen simply as another human being.”
You can read President Trump’s statement in full below:
The world mourns the passing of Prince Philip, a man who embodied the noble soul and proud spirit of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Melania and I send our deepest and most profound condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and to the entire Royal Family. We send our most heartfelt sympathies to the British people. This is an irreplaceable loss for Great Britain, and for all who hold dear our civilization.
Prince Philip defined British dignity and grace. He personified the quiet reserve, stern fortitude, and unbending integrity of the United Kingdom. As a young man, he served Britain honorably and courageously as a naval officer in the Second World War. Aboard battleships in the Mediterranean, he saw combat at sea. He then participated in the pivotal Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. Like so many of his generation, in Britain’s darkest hour, he put his life on the line for God, country, and the values of freedom and self-government that forever unite America and the United Kingdom.
For seven decades, Prince Philip brought the same sense of duty and purpose to his role as consort and husband to the Queen. He was admired by his fellow citizens, and respected by everyone around the world. His exceptional example of service, constancy, and patriotism will be his greatest legacy. Over the past few years, Melania and I were honored to have the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom. We saw firsthand how the Monarchy epitomizes and carries on the virtues of the British People – and no one did so more than Prince Philip.
As we grieve his loss, we celebrate his memory and rededicate ourselves to the values to which he devoted his extraordinary life. He will be greatly missed.