STBHF condolence message on the death of the Duke of Edinburgh His Royal Highness Prince Philip

It is with profound grief and sadness that we received the news of the death of the beloved husband of Queen Elizabeth II, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He died on Friday, 9th April, 2021. He was 99.

At this time of great pain and loss, the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) expresses our deepest condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and the entire Royal Family, as well as to the Government and people of the United Kingdom.

Prince Philip was born in Corfu (Country) on June 10, 1921; he joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1939, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Prince Louis, who was Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.

After completing his initial training under the auspice of Best Cadet of his entry, Prince Philip spent six months in the Indian Ocean as Midshipman aboard the battleship HMS RAMILLIES in 1940.

During the First World War Prince Louis of Battenberg, Prince Philip's grandfather changed the family's name to Mountbatten. Prince Phillip adopted this name when he also became a naturalized British subject and renounced his Royal title in order to marry Princess Elizabeth. Upon his marriage, Prince Phillip was bestowed with the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.

Prince Philip was subsequently promoted to sub-lieutenant and appointed to the destroyer HMS WALLACE. In 1942 he became the ship's First Lieutenant at the unusually early age of 21.

In 1952 he was promoted to Commander, but his naval career came to an end on the death of his father-in-law, King George VI.

At the aged of 17, during the Second World War, Prince Philip joined the battleship HMS VALIANT, which fought in the Battle of Cape Matapan. The Prince was in charge of the ship's searchlight control, enabling VALIANT to pinpoint enemy vessels in the dark. For this work, he was mentioned in despatches.

Prince Philip was then appointed First Lieutenant of the W-class destroyer, HMS WHELP, which was present in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese signed the surrender.

In July 1947 the engagement of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten to Princess Elizabeth was announced. Four months later, on 20 November, they were married in Westminster Abbey.

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent part of their honeymoon at Broadlands in Hampshire, the home of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and Birkhall, which is located on the Balmoral Estate.

The Queen and Prince Philip have four children. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales was born in 1948 and Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, was born two years later. After ascending the throne, the couple had two further children: Prince Andrew, Duke of York, born in 1960, and Prince Edward, Earl of Essex, born in 1964.

Prince Philip was particularly interested in science, industry, and engineering. He has visited research stations and laboratories, coal mines and factories, engineering works, and industrial plants - all with the aim of understanding, and contributing to the improvement of, British industrial life.

Environmental and conservation issues are also of great interest to Prince Philip. Concerned about pollution by exhaust fumes, he began using an electric car in the 1960s. Since visiting Antarctica and the South Atlantic in 1956-57, Prince Philip had devoted himself to raising public awareness of the relationship of humanity with the environment.

The Duke was a keen sportsman and enjoyed polo, carriage driving, and sailing. He was also a qualified pilot and was the first member of the Royal family ever to fly out of Buckingham Palace Garden in a helicopter.

Prince Philip was patron to hundreds of charitable organisations, covering a wide range of disciplines all of which benefited from his wit and wisdom and his inquisitive mind.

Prince Philip was a man of great character who supported Her Majesty the Queen and carried out his duties efficiently, effectively and tirelessly. He will be remembered for his forward-thinking, sharp wit and for what he was to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince Philip will be sadly missed forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with Her Majesty and the Royal Family, the Government and people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time.

May Allah grant him Al Jannah Firdaus and strengthen Her Majesty and the Royal Family during this moment of grief.

Sender:

Foday M. Kamara

Founder Member and Assistant Senior Prgramme Coordinator

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF)

For and onbehalf of the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF)