Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace has announced. The death was certified by Sir Huw Thomas, the head of the royal medical household and the physician to the Queen.

 Philip, who would have turned 100 in June, had been plagued by health issues in recent years after retiring from his public duties in August 2017.

He abruptly canceled his appearance at the traditional Maundy church service that he was scheduled to attend with the monarch in March 2018. Philip also skipped Easter Sunday services that year ahead of the announcement that he underwent hip replacement surgery.

In tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey began tolling its tenor bell once every 60 seconds at 18:00 BST. It rang out 99 times to honor each year of his life.

Earlier, the flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast and a notice was posted on the gates to mark the duke’s death.

People placed floral tributes outside the palace, while hundreds visited Windsor Castle to pay their respects.