Moses Ofodeme
President Muhammadu Buhari has sent his condolences to the Queen of England over the death of her husband, Prince Philip, who passed on Friday at the age of 99.
The president’s condolence message was contained in a statement issued by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday.
In the statement Buhari said: “The death of Duke of Edinburgh is the end of an era. Prince Philip was one of the greatest and publicly recognisable international figures whose contributions to the Commonwealth will be remembered for generations to come.
‘‘Prince Philip was a great man in his own right who made enormous contributions to philanthropic activities and charities; especially for wildlife conservation and youth development programmes, in more than 130 countries,” he stated.
He described the Duke of Edinburgh as a remarkable husband who had been happily married to the Queen since 1947; adding that: “this is an impressive record for any marriage at any level.”
The president also commiserated with the government of the United Kingdom; members of the Commonwealth on the sad loss of “this royal and indeed global icon.”
Also, public figures in the United Kingdom and across the world have reacted with sadness to the death of Prince Philip.
The Duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known, “passed away peacefully” on Friday morning at Windsor Castle aged 99; Buckingham Palace announced. The husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip had been by the monarch’s side throughout her 69-year reign; the longest in British history.
During his long and storied life, which saw him fight in World War II and play a key role in modernising the monarchy; he earned a reputation as an oftentimes gruff figure with a troubling habit for making bigoted remarks.
He also won widespread affection for his unyielding devotion to the queen and his charitable efforts; which focused on younger people, wildlife conservation and battling the scourge of climate change.