And while it was originally reported that the duke passed away peacefully in his home at Windsor Castle, special details have revealed that his longtime love, Queen Elizabeth II, was right by his side during those final moments.
In a report published by The Telegraph, royal sources claim that the queen was with Prince Philip as he passed “in his own bed” and “on his own terms.” When it was suggested that Prince Philip be rushed to the hospital late Thursday night, Queen Elizabeth “quickly dismissed” these suggestions, so as to fulfill the late duke’s wishes of being at home when he died.
The source told The Telegraph, “He spent most of the four weeks he was in hospital trying to get home. They operated on his heart in a bid to give him a little longer, maybe with the 100th birthday in mind. But he didn’t really care about that. There is no way he would have wanted to die in hospital.”
Just last week, the head of the royal medical household, Sir Huw Thomas, certified the cause of Prince Philip’s death as simply “old age.” When his passing was first announced, the royal family shared a heartfelt quote from 1997, where Queen Elizabeth said, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
While Her Majesty has been in an extended period of mourning, she returned to her royal duties earlier this week, opening her 67th session of parliament.
We’re just glad to know that Prince Philip got to spend his final moments with “Lilibet.”