Death of Prince Philip: rain of tributes in the UK and around the world
Tributes have flocked to the UK to pay tribute to the memory of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II (both here in 1953) who died on Friday at the age of 99.
AP - Leslie Priest
Text by: RFI Follow
7 mins
An "
extraordinary man
", full of "
joie de vivre
" and "
devoted
" to his country and his family: tributes poured in to the United Kingdom to pay tribute to the memory of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Friday at 99 years old.
Publicity
Read more
The first to pay tribute to him, Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised "
the extraordinary life and work
" of the Duke of Edinburgh.
"
He helped guide the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution undoubtedly vital to the balance and happiness of our national life
," he said from the steps of 10 Downing Street.
Prince Philip had won the affection of many generations.
He helped lead the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains unquestionably an institution vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.
He was an environmentalist and a champion of nature long before it was fashionable.
We will remember him for all of this, but above all for his unwavering support for Her Majesty the Queen.
And it is to the Queen and her family that our thoughts must turn today.
On her golden wedding anniversary, Queen Elizabeth said that the nation owed her a greater debt than he would have admitted and I am sure that is true.
We are in mourning today and today we offer our condolences to Queen Elizabeth, Her Majesty, and all her family.
As a nation and kingdom, we salute the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Boris Johnson
Muriel Delcroix
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, in power at the time of Princess Diana's death in 1997, paid tribute to a man "
often ahead of his time
".
"
He will naturally be particularly recognized for his remarkable and unwavering support to the Queen for so many years."
However, he must also be commended and celebrated in his own right for his foresight, determination and courage,
”he said.
According to ex-Prime Minister John Major, "
modest to the core, and loathing annoyances, he perfectly embodied the British spirit and remained true to himself until the end
".
And to add that "
the surge of affection and sadness after his death would have surprised and embarrassed him
".
Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer lamented "
the loss of an extraordinary public servant
" who "
dedicated his life to our country
", first in the Royal Navy and then alongside Elizabeth II.
“A deep brand” in Scotland
More soberly, the Scottish separatist Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was "
saddened
" by the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
According to her, he will leave "
a deep mark
" in Scotland, a nation with which he shared "
deep and lasting ties
" and where he regularly spent his holidays in Balmoral.
In Northern Ireland, agitated for more than a week by riots, Unionist Prime Minister Arlene Foster recalled her "
marked interest in Northern Ireland
".
"
It had a profound and positive impact on thousands of our young people
", notably through its youth program "The Duke of Edinburgh's Award", she said.
►
See also: United Kingdom: death of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II
The Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Anglican Church of England led by the Queen, recalled her meetings with the Duke.
“
I have always been struck by his obvious zest for life, his curious mind and his ability to communicate with people from all walks of life,
” he said.
For the Labor mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, he was "
an extraordinary man, who devoted his life to public service and to helping others
".
"
He also fought for the UK - and the freedoms we hold dear today - in World War II,
" he added.
Tributes from around the world
In the United States, it was former US President George W. Bush who reacted first.
“
Throughout his long and remarkable life he has dedicated himself to noble causes and others.
He represented the UK with dignity and brought boundless strength and support to the
British
crown,
”the former president said in a statement.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hailed a man who "
embodied a generation we will never see again
".
"
He had a remarkable career in the army and was at the forefront of many social initiatives,
" said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his part.
Germany, through the voice of the Foreign Ministry, hailed "
a long life in the service of his country
".
"
Prince Philip will be greatly missed in Israel and around the world,
" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote for his part.
(With
AFP
)
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
UK