In the case of Prince Philip’s passing, the cause of his death is one most of us would be lucky to have reported. Doctors recently stated that his official cause of death was simply “old age.”
The member of the British royal family, and husband to Queen Elizabeth II, died on April 9. The 99-year-old was almost exactly two months away from his 100th birthday. His June 10 birth date would’ve marked a full century for the prince, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The Daily Telegraph shared details from the Duke of Edinburgh’s death certificate, which they recently obtained. The official royal palace doctor reported that there was no identifiable disease or injury responsible for his passing. Therefore it is common practice in England to report “old age” as the cause of death for seniors over 80.
However, Prince Philip has had multiple health issues later in life. In February, he had heart surgery after battling an infection related to a pre-existing heart condition. Yet Buckingham Palace is saying that wasn’t necessarily the cause of his death. In the States, we’re more used to hearing that elderly people die of “natural causes.” Nonetheless, the royal prince lived a long, full life beside Queen Elizabeth.
Additionally, the death certificate shared a few interesting details about Prince Philip. For one, his full name/title is lengthy to say the least. The certificate lists his name as, “His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh formerly known as Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark formerly known as Philip Mountbatten.” Also, it lists his occupations, which include Naval Officer, and Prince of the United Kingdom.
Prince Philip Dies at the Age of 99
Prince Philip passed away on April 9, 2021, according to an Associated Press report. Buckingham Palace officials released a statement announcing the member of the royal family’s death.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the statement read. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”
The Duke of Edinburgh married Queen Elizabeth in 1947. The couple were together for more than 70 years before his passing. Additionally, he was the longest-serving consort in British history. In 2017, he retired from public engagements after serving in more than 20,000 separate events during his tenure.
Prince Philip was originally a member of the Greek royal family. In 1921, he was born on the Greek island of Corfu, but his family left Greece when he was just still an infant. Philip later attended school in both France and in England.
In 1939, he entered the Royal Navy and served in World War II with the British armed forces. He was appointed Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Cadet Force, and Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps in 1952. Philip was later promoted to Admiral of the Fleet and appointed Field Marshal and Marshal of the Royal Air Force.
He and Queen Elizabeth had four children together – Prince Charles; Princess Anne; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. He’s survived by eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
