President Joe Biden joined the list of world leaders paying tribute to Prince Philip following his death. Shortly after the Duke of Edinburgh died on the morning of April 9 at the age of 99, Biden, in a joint statement with his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, sent his “deepest condolences” to the British royal family, including Philip’s wife of 73-years, Queen Elizabeth, and “all the people of the United Kingdom.”
Released via the White House, the Bidens reflected on Philip’s life, during which he “saw our world change dramatically and repeatedly.” They said the royal “dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family” not only through “his service during World War II, but also through his 73 years alongside the Queen, and his entire life in the public eye.” The Bidens also reflected on “the impact of his decades of devoted public service,” which they said is evident through “the worthy causes he lifted up as a patron, in the environmental efforts he championed, in the members of the Armed Forces that he supported, in the young people he inspired, and so much more.”
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“His legacy will live on not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavors he shaped,” the statement continued. “Jill and I are keeping the Queen and Prince Philip’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in our hearts during this time.”
In addition to the official White House statement, Biden also commented on Philip’s death when speaking to reporters during an Oval Office meeting Friday afternoon. Again sending his condolences to the royal family, Biden remembered Philip as “a heck of a guy” and noted his “bravery, serving in World War Two, as well as his being champion of the environment as well as the charitable things he set up,” according to the Independent. He added that Philip is “going to be missed, particularly in the United Kingdom. 99 years old and never slowed down at all, which I admire the devil out of.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also paid tribute to the late royal, writing on Twitter that the late royal “led a long, remarkable life — the hallmarks of which were loyalty and service.” She added that she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, “send our condolences to the Royal Family, the people of the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth.”
Philip passed away Friday as the longest-serving consort to a British sovereign, having been married to the Queen for more than seven decades. He is said to have passed away “peacefully” at Windsor Castle, where he and Her Majesty had been living amid the coronavirus pandemic. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 17.
