Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, dies

When Elizabeth of York first encountered Prince Philip, she was not intended to be queen. She was seven years old and serving as a bridesmaid to her aunt, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, at her wedding to the Duke of Kent at Westminster Abbey, while 12-year-old Philip was attending as the bride’s first cousin.

The children barely spoke -- but foreign newspapers had already listed Prince Philip as a suitably royal husband for the little Princess, as her third cousin through Queen Victoria.

When they met again five years later, in 1939, everything had changed. Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII, had abdicated three years earlier. Her father was now King and she was the heir to the throne. Philip was an 18-year-old naval cadet. And Europe was on the brink of cataclysmic conflict and change, with World War II about to begin.

"How high he can jump!" Elizabeth said to her governess, Marion Crawford, in July 1939 when she saw Philip leaping over the tennis nets at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.

Elizabeth had led a very sheltered life with her family, spending most of her time with her sister and governess. Touring the college with her parents and sister, she was dazzled by the star cadet, who would soon be off on active service.

Elizabeth’s fascination was obvious to all and was most gratifying to Philip’s uncle, Dickie Mountbatten, who was hopeful of encouraging a marriage -- with himself as the power behind the throne.

During the war, Philip wrote to Elizabeth and came to stay at Christmas in 1943. Elizabeth was 17 and a young woman. Philip found her very appealing. She was not only attractive and witty, but she was cheerful and practical, very unlike his own fragile mother.

At the end of the war, Philip came to court Elizabeth with serious intent and took her out to concerts and restaurants or dined in the nursery with Princess Margaret.

The Palace was dubious about the match. The King and Queen wished her to "see more of the world" before marrying, and courtiers discussed how Philip was "no gentleman," "ill tempered" and possibly fickle -- he signed visitors' books as of "no fixed abode."

But Elizabeth refused to be swayed. She had been determined on Philip since the age of 13 and war had only intensified the romance. The King gave in and the engagement was announced on July 8, 1947, with the wedding date fixed for November 20.

Read the full love story here.

Prince Philip was "an enormous support for the Queen to bring the monarchy into the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century as well," Charles Anson, a former Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, told CNN.

The Duke of Edinburgh was "constantly a man open to new ideas and themes," he said.

Anson, who worked for the Queen in the 1990s, said Philip was "committed to supporting the Queen on every occasion, whether it's a happy one or a more difficult task with members of the family or a sad occasion."

The Prince also pursued his own professional life in support of the monarchy through wide-ranging public duties, Anson explained, adding that he was a man of action and ideas.

"He also liked to see those ideas translated into action to make a better society," he said. "His goal was to make a better world."

Watch:

US President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, have offered their condolences to the Queen, the royal family and the United Kingdom, saying they were keeping the Queen and Prince Philip’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren "in our hearts during this time."

A similar message was posted on the US President's official Twitter feed:

Funeral arrangements for The Duke of Edinburgh are expected to be confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Saturday, April 10, according to a royal source.

CNN understands that plans for royal funerals have been in place for many years, but the ceremonial elements have had to be altered due to current COVID restrictions in the UK. 

Earlier on Friday, the College of Arms confirmed that Prince Philip’s funeral will be held at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, "in line with custom and with His Royal Highness's wishes."

The College of Arms, which oversees many ceremonial aspects of the royal family's work, said the ceremony would not be a state funeral and would not be preceded by a lying-in-state, which could have seen thousands of members of the public lining up to view Prince Philip's coffin.

The funeral arrangements have been revised, because of the coronavirus pandemic, it added.   

Players in the English Premier League will wear black armbands, and "there will be a minute’s silence before kick-off at all Premier League matches ... across the weekend," to mark the death of Prince Philip, the organization has announced.

The Premier League is just one of many UK sports governing bodies and clubs paying tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh on social media on Friday.

British Olympic Association (BOA) chair Sir Hugh Robertson offered his "sincere condolences" to the Queen and the royal family.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award acknowledged the passing of its founder and patron:

Liverpool Football Club announced that it will fly its flags at half-mast as a mark of respect.

The Welsh Rugby Union tweeted that Prince Philip's legacy of public service was "a lasting one."

The England and Wales Cricket Board tweeted: "We owe him a great debt for his support and passion over many decades.”

David Cameron said in a statement:

Tony Blair said in a statement:

Sir John Major said in a statement:

While primarily known for his marriage to the Queen, Prince Philip was an extraordinary figure in his own right. He was born into the turmoil of inter-war Europe and became a naval officer, who was decorated for heroism in World War II.

Philip's life was dramatic from the outset. The nephew of Greece's King Constantine I, the Prince of Greece and Denmark was born in 1921 on the dining room table of a villa on the Greek island of Corfu.

He was forced into exile just 18 months later, when the Greek monarchy was overthrown by a military revolt. His family's experience shaped Philip's later desire to modernize the British royal family, in the hope that they would seem more relevant to the Queen's subjects.

See more photos of Prince Philip's life:

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Prince Philip: Decades in public life

Prince Philip was "his own man," Sally Bedell Smith, who has written biographies about Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, told CNN's Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto.

"He had a really independent mind, and he was a modernizer," she said. 

"He had a very quick wit. And I think people often misinterpreted that as gaffes," Bedell Smith said. She shared a memory of him in 2015 ribbing her as "desperate" for having written biographies of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. 

Bedell Smith also discussed the close relationship between the Queen and Prince Philip, explaining that he would "watch her like a laser" at events. 

"He never kept her out of his sight, and he would, if he saw somebody — a little kid in particular — who was having trouble seeing the Queen or getting close to her, I saw him literally pick up a child and put him in front of the barricade so the Queen could say hello," she said. 

A good friend of the family once told Bedell Smith that there was always a "laugh around the corner" between the couple. "They shared many duties, but they also shared … a great sense of humor," she said. 

The most famous family on earth is mourning the loss of its patriarch.

Prince Philip, the husband of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, has died, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday. He was 99.

The Duke of Edinburgh -- who married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 -- was the longest-serving consort in British history.

He will be remembered for his charitable work, his dedication to public service and, of course, his mischievous and controversial sense of humor.

Phillip once jokingly referred to himself as "the world's most experienced plaque unveiler."

But as a child born into the turmoil of interwar Europe, and a naval officer decorated for heroism during World War II, the Duke of Edinburgh was an extraordinary figure in his own right.

Read CNN's full obituary here:

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Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, longtime consort to Queen Elizabeth II, dies