09 April 2021

Duke of Edinburgh’s death makes headlines around the world

09 April 2021

News of the Duke of Edinburgh’s death at the age of 99 has made headlines around the world.

Philip’s sense of humour, strong support for his wife and occasional gaffes were remembered in the coverage.

The New York Times said the duke “brought the monarchy into the 20th century, but his occasional frank comments hurt his image”.

Duke of Edinburgh (PA Wire)

The newspaper added: “As ‘the first gentleman in the land’, Philip tried to shepherd into the 20th century a monarchy encrusted with the trappings of the 19th.

“But as pageantry was upstaged by scandal, as regal weddings were followed by sensational divorces, his mission, as he saw it, changed.

“Now it was to help preserve the crown itself.”

The Times of India also reported Philip’s death as one of its lead stories.

The newspaper said the duke “earned a reputation for a tough, no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for occasional gaffes”.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said in an obituary of Philip that Australians appreciated the duke’s “irreverent directness”.

The newspaper also reports Australia’s governor-general David Hurley describing Philip’s death as a “sad and historic day”.

The New York Post’s coverage said Philip was known for his “easy-going humour, dapper wardrobe and sometimes startling frankness”.

“Despite never being crowned king, the Duke played an important role behind closed doors, supporting his wife of seven decades during times of great tumult,” it added.

Max Foster, a correspondent for US television news channel CNN, said the duke “really did help steer the British monarchy”.

He added: “Of course the Queen was upfront, she was the head of state, she made the final decisions, but he was her key adviser, her confidant and behind the scenes as well he was very much the patriarch of the family, making a lot of the key family decisions.”

French newspaper Le Figaro ran the duke’s death as its lead story.

The publication said Philip had provided support to the Queen and noted his sense of humour and broad range of interests spanning polo, aviation and painting.

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