Death of The Duke of Edinburgh

Earlier today, April 9, Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, received official word from the administrator of the Government of Canada in Ottawa confirming the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

“It is with profound sadness that Mrs. LeBlanc and I learned of the passing of His Royal Highness,” said Lt.-Gov. LeBlanc. “Prince Philip lived a long and remarkable life that was characterized by duty and service. He will be long remembered for his support to many charities and organizations, in particular his creation of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program. It encouraged youth around the world, including thousands of Nova Scotian youth, to develop themselves through personal discovery and growth, self-reliance, perseverance and responsibility. On behalf of all Nova Scotians, I have written to Her Majesty the Queen to convey our deepest sympathy to her and all members of the Royal Family.”

A memorial service will be held at All Saints Cathedral in about eight days. More information will be released when available.

Members of the public are invited to sign a book of condolences at Government House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through the day of the memorial service. As well, people will be able to sign the Government of Canada’s official condolence book, which will be posted on the Lt.-Gov.’s website.

An area for placing flowers and cards has been established in front of Government House. All cards will be forwarded to Buckingham Palace.

Flags on all provincial buildings will be at half-mast from now until sunset on the day of the funeral.

Quotes:

“Prince Philip’s connection to Nova Scotia spanned his lifetime. He first came here as a young naval officer during the Battle of the Atlantic and last visited in 2010 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy. This is truly a sad day for Nova Scotia. On behalf of all Nova Scotians, I want to express my deepest condolences to Queen Elizabeth and her family.”

– Iain Rankin, Premier of Nova Scotia

Quick Facts:

• Prince Philip was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark at Mon Repos, Corfu, Kingdom of Greece on June 10, 1921
• Prince Philip served with the Royal Navy during the Second World War
• Prince Philip and then Princess Elizabeth were married at Westminster Abbey on Nov. 20, 1947. At the time of Prince Philip’s death, they had been married 73 years, the longest marriage of any monarch and consort
• both Philip and the Queen are great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and he was also descended from the House of Romanov, the last ruling family of Russia
• on Feb. 22, 1957, the Queen granted her husband the style and title of a Prince of the United Kingdom by Letters Patent, following which he was known as His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• Prince Philip was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on Oct. 14, 1957, taking his Oath of Allegiance before the Queen at Rideau Hall, Ottawa
• Prince Philip visited Nova Scotia on several occasions. In 1958, when on an official visit to other parts of Canada, he broke away from his program to meet with the families and survivors of the Springhill Mine tragedy. He last visited Nova Scotia in 2010 when he accompanied the Queen to mark the centennial of the Royal Canadian Navy
• On Aug. 2, 2017, Prince Philip retired from royal duties, aged 96, having performed over 22,000 solo engagements