Prince Philip tributes: Piers Morgan, Keir Starmer and more pay respect to Duke of Edinburgh

The flag over 10 Downing Street has been lowered to half-mast out of respect

Prince Philip has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said the Duke of Edinburgh died “peacefully” at Windsor Castle on the morning of 9 April.

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” a post to the royal family’s official Twitter account read. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid tribute to the prince consort as the flag over 10 Downing Street has been lowered to half-mast out of respect.

He said: “Speaking on their golden wedding anniversary, Her Majesty said that our country owed her husband ‘a greater debt than he would ever claim or we shall ever know’ and I am sure that estimate is correct.

“So we mourn today with Her Majesty The Queen, we offer our condolences to her and to all her family and we give thanks, as a nation and a kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” he added.

Labour leader Keir Starmer echoed the words of the prime minister, writing on Twitter how “he will be remembered most of all for his extraordinary commitment and devotion to The Queen. For more than seven decades, he has been at her side.

“Their marriage has been a symbol of strength, stability and hope, even as the world around them changed – most recently during the pandemic,” he said. “It was a partnership that inspired millions in Britain and beyond.

“My thoughts are with The Queen, the Royal Family and the British people as our nation comes together to mourn and remember the life of Prince Philip,” he added.

Scottish First minister, Nicola Sturgeon also took to Twitter to offer her condolences.

“I am saddened by news that the Duke of Edinburgh has died,” she wrote.

“I send my personal and deepest condolences – and those of @scotgov and the people of Scotland – to Her Majesty The Queen and her family.”

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan tweeted a statement expressing his condolences.

“Today, we mourn the loss of an extraordinary man, who devoted his life to public service and helping others,” he wrote.

He added: “As Mayor, I know I can speak on behalf of all Londoners that we will forever be grateful for the contribution His Royal Highness made to our city and our country.

“This includes his charitable work and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which has helped so many young people reach their potential.”

Former prime minister Theresa May praised Prince Philip as a “devoted husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather”.

“The nation and the entire Commonwealth owe Prince Philip an extraordinary debt of gratitude for a distinguished life of service to the Queen, our country and so many around the world,” she added.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his thoughts are with Prince Philip’s loved ones.

He wrote on Twitter: “Losing a loved one, as so many families have this past year, is always heartbreaking. My thoughts are with Prince Philip’s family and all who loved him.”

Nigel Farage also shared his condolences on Twitter.

“He was a great man in both war and peace,” he wrote of the Duke of Edinburgh. “All of our thoughts are with our magnificent Queen.”

A statement on the Twitter account for former prime minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah expressed their “deepest sympathies”.

“The whole country will be saddened by the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and wish to express their condolences to HRH The Queen today,” it said.

Among the first celebrities to react was Piers Morgan, who said it was “a very sad day for our country”.

“RIP Prince Philip, 99,” he wrote on Twitter.

“A truly great Briton who dedicated his life to selfless public duty & was an absolute rock of devoted support to Her Majesty, The Queen, as the longest-serving royal consort to any British sovereign.”

His former Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid followed suit. She wrote: “Such a huge loss for the Queen and his family. His has been her constant, steadfast support.”

Gary Lineker also shared his condolences online, writing: “Sorry to hear that Prince Philip has passed away. Served this country over many, many decades.”

Boy George called the prince consort “a character” on Twitter, saying that the news about his death was “very, very sad.”

Carol Vorderman paid tribute to Prince Philip on Instagram, with a story from when she met Prince Philip and the Queen for lunch.

“They were both in their 80s and Prince Philip and she were flirting with each other madly and laughing,” she wrote.

“Theirs was a love and a marriage of more than 73 years. Deepest condolences Ma’am ❤️”.

Football manager Jose Mourinho interrupted a press conference earlier to react to the news of Prince Philip’s death: “I want to express my condolences to the royal family. To be very honest, I have a deep deep deep respect for the royal family. All my condolences. It’s not just this country sharing this feeling.”

Meanwhile, Virgin founder Richard Branson tweeted: “Rest in peace Prince Philip. A lifetime of public service. My thoughts are with the Queen and all of the Royal Family”

Alan Sugar said his thoughts are with the Queen and the rest of the royal family in a tweet, as did Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

Boyzone’s Ronan Keating shared an image from when he met the prince consort on Instagram.

“A great honour to have met you Sir,” he wrote. “You lived a full life a good life.”