The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has expressed his condolences over the passing of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 99 on Friday.

“I join with the rest of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in mourning the loss of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and give thanks to God for his extraordinary life of dedicated service,” the archbishop said.

“Prince Philip continually demonstrated his unfailing support and unstinting loyalty to Her Majesty The Queen for 73 years,” he added.

On his personal encounters with the prince, Welby said: “On the occasions when I met him, I was always struck by his obvious joy at life, his enquiring mind and his ability to communicate to people from every background and walk of life.

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“He was a master at putting people at their ease and making them feel special.”

Prince Philip had died Friday morning at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace announced.