Prince Philip’s death, the end of an era, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday extended his condolences to Queen Elizabeth II over the death of her husband, Prince Philip. He sympathised with the Queen in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

“The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is the end of an era,” the President said in his tribute to the longest-serving Queen’s consort. He added, “Prince Philip was one of the greatest and publicly recognisable international figures whose contributions to the Commonwealth will be remembered for generations to come.

“Prince Philip was a great man in his own right who made enormous contributions to philanthropic activities and charities, especially for wildlife conservation and youth development programmes in more than 130 countries.”

President Buhari described the late Duke of Edinburgh as a remarkable husband who had been happily married to the Queen since 1947, saying such union was an impressive record for any marriage at any level.

He also commiserated with the government of the United Kingdom and members of the Commonwealth for the death of Prince Philip, whom he said was a royal and global icon. The President’s tribute comes hours after Buckingham Palace announced the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, aged 99.

He was the longest-serving royal consort in British history after getting married to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen.

In a tweet via its official handle on Friday afternoon, the Palace said, “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

Fears over the health of the Duke of Edinburgh, as he was formally known, had been heightened after he was recently hospitalised for a month. He was first admitted on February 16 on the advice of his doctor after he complained of feeling unwell.

After what was described as a successful procedure for a pre-existing condition and treatment for an unspecified infection, Prince Philip left the hospital on March 16. He was due to turn 100 in June.