Prince Philip: Flowers and other tributes pour in to palaces
Tributes to Prince Philip have poured in from across the globe after the consort died a few months shy of his 100th birthday.
World leaders were quick to offer their condolences to the Queen and the rest of the royal family after the palace announced at midday on Friday that the Duke of Edinburgh had died, several weeks after being released from hospital.
Among those who sent heartfelt messages were the Irish leader Micheal Martin and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.
While Boris Johnson praised Prince Philip for earning “the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom”, members of the public flocked to palaces in London and Windsor, laying down bunches of flowers to remember the consort.
Speaking outside Buckingham Palace, Dennis and Martsie Webb, from Salt Lake City in Utah, US, told The Independent they had come to pay their respects to a“great man”.
“We recognise how precious the monarchy is to the British people and its impact around the world, and wanted to come here to pay our respects to the great man Prince Philip was. He was wonderful, served in WWII and dedicated his life to public service,” Dennis said.
“The Queen married very well. She is beloved to the people, but so was Prince Philip,” Martsie added.
Alex, a New Zealander who works in London, also paid his respects to the Duke, saying: “The loss of Prince Philip will be felt most by the Queen and her family, but seeing the people here today, I would say he was a beloved figure.”
“In New Zealand, the loyalists will mourn him as well, and in my family I’ve already received messages about it. I think it will be much more packed here tomorrow and Sunday,” he added.
Many other tributes were given across the country, including a two-minute silence at county championship cricket matches and at the Grand National.
Flags are hanging at half-mast at Holyrood in Edinburgh, while political parties in Scotland stopped their election campaign to pay their respects to the Duke.
Former British prime ministers also offered their praise, with Tony Blair describing him as “a man of foresight, determination and courage” and Theresa May calling him a “devoted husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather”.
Prince Philip is Britain’s longest-serving consort and took part in 22,219 royal engagements from 1952 to 2017, when he retired from royal duties.
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