Britain's Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's 'strength' for seven decades, dies at 99

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Philip enters a car as he leaves the King Edward VII's Hospital in London, Britain December 24, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) -Prince Philip, who was Queen Elizabeth's husband for more than seven decades and helped to modernise the British monarchy and steer the royal family through repeated crises, died on Friday. He was 99.

The Duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known, had been by his wife's side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history. During that time he earned a reputation for a tough, no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for occasional gaffes.