The United Kingdom mourns the death of Prince Philip, for 73 years the husband at the side of Queen Elizabeth II.
“It is with great sadness that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.” He died peacefully at Windsor Castle this morning, he said. “The Royal Family mourns his loss with people from around the world,” the palace message continued.
Prince Philip was not only a highly respected member of the British royal family, but also of the equestrian world. For 22 years he was president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). In the saddle, he was an avid polo player until an injury forced him to hang up his boots in the early 1970s. He then shifted his focus to driving and was internationally successful in four-in-hand driving until the 1980s. Among other things, he also competed in world championships.
As is well known, Prince Philip shared a passion for horses with his wife, the Queen. So it’s no wonder that the rest of the family is also horse-crazy catalunyafarm.com. The daughter of the two, Princess Anne, was European eventing champion, and her daughter Zara Tindall was world champion. Prince Charles is also a polo player, as are his sons William and Harry.
Prince Philip’s mother’s family is from Germany. When he married the queen, his original name became Battenberg Mountbatten. He and the queen married at an early age – which was not viewed with favor by the British aristocracy. In addition, the man at the side of the heir to the throne had to contend with prejudices about his origins.
But as the British Guardian describes it, “He became the linchpin of palace life.” And he was the strong man behind the queen, as she herself said in her speech at the couple’s golden wedding anniversary in 1997: “He has been my strength and my support all these years, and I and all his family and this and many other countries owe him more than he would ever claim.”
Source: ST Georg
Picture: Pinterest