Philip, defined by role of husband to British queen, dies

LONDON — Prince Philip, the irascible and tough-minded husband of Queen Elizabeth II who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constricted his life, has died, Buckingham Palace said Friday. In the 1970s, Michael Parker, an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince, said of him: “He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job — first, second and last — was never to let her down.” Speaking outside 10 Downing St., Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted the support Philip provided to the queen, saying he “helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.” The queen, a very private person not given to extravagant displays of affection, once called him “her rock” in public. U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden said the impact of the prince’s decades of public service was evident in the causes he advocated, while Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that “Britain has lost a wise elder who was imbued with a unique spirit of public service.” Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta called him a “towering symbol of family values and the unity of the British people as well as the entire global community.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his country “celebrates the European and British destiny of a man who, not without panache, served as the contemporary to a century of ordeals and hopes for our continent.” And Greece’s former king, Constantine II, told The Associated Press in a statement that his relative was “a remarkable man who dedicated his entire life to duty and service for his country and the Commonwealth.” Prince William and Prince Harry marked their grandfather’s death in full-page tributes on the websites of their respective foundations. “Constitutionally, I don’t exist,” said Philip, who in 2009 became the longest-serving consort in British history, surpassing Queen Charlotte, who married King George III in the18th century. “All her life she was surrounded by men who said, ‘yes ma’am,’ and he was one man who always told her how it really was, or at least how he saw it.” Lacey said at the time of the royal family’s difficult relations with Princess Diana after her marriage to Charles broke down, Philip spoke for the family with authority, showing that he did not automatically defer to the queen.