Royal families of Europe pay tribute to ‘great friend’ Prince Philip

The Dutch royal family offered its ‘heartfelt sympathy’ to the Queen.
Duke of Edinburgh
PA Wire
Tom Pilgrim9 April 2021

European royal families have paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh remembering him as a “great friend” who “never ceased to leave an unforgettable impression”.

The Dutch royal family offered its “heartfelt sympathy” to the Queen.

The official Twitter account of the Royal House of the Netherlands posted a message from King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix.

They said: “It is with great respect that we remember His Royal Highness Prince Philip

“Throughout his long life, he committed himself with dedication to the British people and to his many duties and responsibilities.

“His lively personality never ceased to leave an unforgettable impression.

“Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy goes out to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and all the members of the Royal Family.”

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden said in a statement that Philip remained “an inspiration to us all”.

He said: “The Queen and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

“Prince Philip has been a great friend of our family for many years, a relation which we have deeply valued.

“His service to his country will remain an inspiration to us all.

“We offer our sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen, the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom.”

The Belgian Royal Palace said it was “deeply saddened” by Philip’s death, tweeting a tribute from the country’s King and Queen along with photos of the family with Philip.

“Deeply saddened by the passing away of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the palace said.

“We wish to express our deepest condolences to Her Majesty The Queen, the British Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.

“Philippe and Mathilde.”

An update on the website of the Danish royal family said Queen Margrethe had sent “personal condolences” to the Queen.

Featuring an image of a portrait of Philip, the site noted that he was born in 1921 as Prince of Greece and Denmark and was a great-grandchild of Christian the 9th of Denmark.

It added: “A portrait of Prince Philip was painted by the Australian-born artist Ralph Heimans in 2017. In the painting, Prince Philip wears the Danish Order of the Elephant.”

Norway’s King Harald said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with Queen Elizabeth and the rest of her family. We also send our condolences to the British people.”

An update on the Royal House of Norway’s website said the news of Philip’s death had been received with “great sorrow” and included photos of the Duke of Edinburgh over the years, including while on a state visit to Oslo in 1955.

It noted: “His Majesty has decided that a flag will be flown at half-mast from the Palace balcony today and on the day of the funeral.”

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