New Telegraph

Buhari, world leaders, mourn Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the death of the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth of England’s husband, Prince Philip, as the end of an era. Buhari joined a chorus of condolences from other current and former world leaders around the world following the death of Prince Philip on Friday at the age of 99.

The President, according to a release by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, condoled with Her Majesty, the Queen, over the death of her husband. Reacting to the death of the longest serving Queen’s consort, President Buhari said: “The death of the 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.”

According to the President, “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 paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh as “a remarkable husband who had been happily married to the Queen since 1947,” saying “this is an impressive record for any marriage at any level.” Buhari also commiserated with the Government of the United Kingdom, the members of the Commonwealth “for the sad loss of this royal and indeed global icon.”

Other warm condolences from Africa, according to an online portal, AFP, included Zimbabwe, which has had a rocky relationship with the UK and is no longer in the Commonwealth. Tanzania, which only recently lost its leader, John Pombe Magufuli, amid COVID- 19 rumours, also condoled with the British royal family. And Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, said the duke was a “towering symbol of family values and the unity of the British people as well as the entire global community”, a man who had worked for the “peaceful co-existence of the human race”.

AFP had reported that the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also hailed Philip’s “extraordinary life and work”. Johnson said the Duke of Edinburgh “earned the affection of generations” at home, in the Commonwealth and across the world. He said: “We give thanks, as a nation and a kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”

In a similar vein, the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, hailed Philip’s public service, calling him “a man of foresight, determination and courage”. “He was often way ahead of his time in protection of the environment, in reconciliation between religious faiths,” he said, hailing his environmental work. Also, the Irish Prime Minister, Micheal Martin, said he was “saddened” by Philip’s death, adding: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Queen Elizabeth and the people of the United Kingdom at this time.” And Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, reportedly ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in his country after the passing of Philip, who he said “embodied a generation that we will never see again”. “The Commonwealth family joins together in sorrow and thanksgiving for the loss and life of Prince Philip. God bless from all here in Australia,” said the leader of the Commonwealth nation.

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