Prince Philip has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace announces
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A statement issued by the palace just after midday spoke of the Queen's "deep sorrow" following his death at Windsor Castle on Friday morning.
The Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, was at the Queen's side for more than her six decades of reign.
Boris Johnson said he "inspired the lives of countless young people".
"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband," the palace said.
"The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."
Speaking at Downing Street, the prime minister said that the duke had "earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world".
Meanwhile, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said he "consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and, in so doing, provided an outstanding example of Christian service".
In tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey began tolling its tenor bell once every 60 seconds at 18:00 BST. The move will be carried out 99 times to honour each year of his life.
Earlier, the flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast and a notice was posted on the gates to mark the duke's death.
People placed floral tributes outside the palace, while hundreds visited Windsor Castle to pay their respects.
However, the government urged the public not to gather or leave tributes at royal residences amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Royal Family has asked people to consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving flowers in memory of the duke, and an online book of condolence has been launched on the official royal website for those who wish to send messages.
A message on the website of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's non-profit organisation Archewell paid tribute to the "loving memory" of the Duke of Edinburgh, saying: "Thank you for your service... you will be greatly missed."
The BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said it was "a moment of sadness" for the country and "most particularly, for the Queen losing her husband of 73 years - a bigger span of years than most of us can imagine".
He said Prince Philip had made "a huge contribution to the success of the Queen's reign", describing the duke as "utterly loyal in his belief in the importance of the role that the Queen was fulfilling - and in his duty to support her".
"It was the importance of the solidity of that relationship, of their marriage, that was so crucial to the success of her reign," he added.
Victoria Ward, Robert Mendick
The Queen has appointed Britain’s “safest pair of hands” – the former head of MI5 – to take over the running of the Royal household.
© Shutterstock The
Queen has appointed Andrew Parker has her new Lord Chamberlain - Shutterstock
Buckingham Palace has announced that Lord Parker, who stepped down last year as director-general of MI5, would take over as Her Majesty’s new Lord Chamberlain. In doing so, he becomes the first former member of the security services to take up an historic post, dating back hundreds of years.
Normally the domain of aristocrats, Lord Parker was educated at a comprehensive school in the North East before studying natural sciences at Cambridge, and remains a keen bird watcher.
Until recent times, the position of Lord Chamberlain was largely the preserve of dukes and earls.
Lord Parker, 58,
succeeds Earl Peel, a great-great grandson of the prime minister Sir Robert
Peel, who announced his intention to retire last year after more than 14 years
in post.
The Lord Chamberlain is the most senior official of the Royal Household, tasked with ensuring the smooth running of each department.
The part-time, non-executive role, which pays around £90,000 a year, also facilitates communication between the Queen and the House of Lords, and ensures coordination between Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
Lord Parker is well known to the Queen and senior members of the Royal household after seven years as head of MI5, the domestic security service.
“He is incredibly well respected across Government and particularly in the intelligence community,” according to one source.
He is regarded as the “safest pair of hands” having steered the UK’s intelligence response through such huge, momentous events as the nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018 and a series of Islamist terrorist attacks in 2017.
His time as head of MI5 between 2013 and last year when he retired coincided with the rise and ultimate defeat of Islamic State.
The Lord Chamberlain's Office is responsible for organising the public facing and ceremonial aspects of the Queen’s working life, from garden parties and state visits to royal weddings and the State Opening of Parliament. They also handle the biannual awarding of honours.
The timing of his appointment means that Lord Parker will likely oversee any ceremonial aspect of the Prince of Wales’s accession to the throne, although Palace aides stressed this was not the reason he had been picked for the role.
He became a cross-bench life peer in December, paving the way for his appointment as Lord Chamberlain, although the timing was said to be nothing more than a “happy coincidence”.
Last February, he hosted the Queen’s first visit to MI5’s headquarters in central London, when she praised the intelligence agency’s officers for their “tireless work” in keeping the country safe.
Lord Parker stepped down last April, having been knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2019.
He has a keen sense of public duty and worked for MI5 for 37 years, running investigations into al-Qaeda and thwarting a plot hatched in the UK to simultaneously blow up transatlantic airliners while in mid-air.
In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen has appointed Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, as Lord Chamberlain to succeed Lord Peel, who will retire on 31 March. Lord Parker will take up his appointment on 1st April 2021.”
Earl Peel, 73,
delayed his retirement amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis while the search for
his successor took place. He was due to step down at the end of 2020 but
extended his notice period by around three months. On ceremonial occasions, the Lord Chamberlain carries a white staff and a
gold key, the symbols of his office.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/royal-family/queen-appoints-ex-mi5-chief-andrew-parker-as-new-lord-chamberlain/ar-BB1dqs3s
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