Buckingham Palace forced to REMOVE Prince Philip death notice from gates due to Covid as crowds gather

STAFF at Buckingham Palace have been forced to remove the notice announcing Prince Philip's death to stop crowds from gathering amid Covid restrictions.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who had been married to the Queen for 73 years and described as her constant strength, passed away "peacefully" at Windsor Castle this morning.

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A brief bulletin, on paper set in a foolscap imperial-sized dark wooden frame, is used to notify the public of key royal events such as births and deaths.

The notice has already been taken down to prevent crowds forming during the coronavirus pandemic.

Usually, the statement, which was put in place by Royal Household staff wearing black face masks, would have remained in place for 24 hours.

Around 30 people initially began queuing to read the sign, before four police officers on horses stopped the crowds from gathering.

Stewards have put a barrier around floral tributes placed at the gates of Buckingham Palace, aimed at preventing overcrowding.

Members of the public were advised to join a queue to take pictures and place flowers, with stewards urging people not to gather in large crowds.

It comes as:

• Prince Philip, 99, died at Windsor Castle this morning
• Queen shared a poignant photo of Philip as she spoke of ‘deep sorrow’ over the loss of her husband of 73 years
• Prince Philip funeral arrangements have been revealed
• This Morning taken off air as Queen announces Philip’s death
• Boris Johnson paid tribute to ‘extraordinary’ Prince Philip
• The Duke of Edinburgh's early years were remembered after he felt Corfu on a warship
• The Queen will be in eight days of mourning, it was reported

More than 100 floral tributes - ranging from bunches of daffodils to fuller bouquets, many with notes attached - and two Union flags have been placed at the gates by mourners.

In a statement, the Palace said: "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

"His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

The royal passed away two months and one day short of what would have been his 100th birthday.

When the Queen Mother died in 2002, a statement on headed Buckingham Palace notepaper, featuring a royal crest, was posted on the gates.

A police officer stood guard over the glass fronted frame, which is usually fixed to the outside of the iron railings by two small metal chains on the back.

The deaths of George VI and George V were also announced this way.

For a sovereign, a notice is also placed on the railings of the house in which they died.

The traditional method of delivering royal news was used for announcing Prince William's birth in 1982 and Peter Phillips' in 1977.

When the Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew in 1960, some 2,000 people crowded around the railings to see the official confirmation.

For each of the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Cambridge, as well as their cousin Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the same wooden frame was used to highlight their arrivals.

But on those occasions, the frame was placed on an ornate golden easel on the forecourt of the palace, inside the railings.

The Queen shared a poignant photo of Philip earlier today as she talked of her "deep sorrow" in a heartfelt tribute to her "beloved" husband.

Flags are being flown at half-mast and further tributes to the duke will be announced in due course.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Prince Philip "helped to steer the Royal Family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life".

Speaking from a podium in Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: "He was an environmentalist, and a champion of the natural world long before it was fashionable.

"With his Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme he shaped and inspired the lives of countless young people and at literally tens of thousands of events he fostered their hopes and encouraged their ambitions."

He added: "We remember the duke for all of this and above all for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen.

"Not just as her consort, by her side every day of her reign, but as her husband, her 'strength and stay', of more than 70 years.

"And it is to Her Majesty, and her family, that our nation's thoughts must turn today.

"Because they have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father, grandfather and, in recent years, great-grandfather."

Philip's death comes just weeks after he was taken to London’s King Edward VII Hospital on February 16 after feeling unwell.

Two weeks later, he was transferred to St Bart’s Hospital for treatment for an infection and heart condition.

Buckingham Palace then announced on Tuesday, March 16 he had been released from hospital and was in "good spirits" and "comfortable".

Philip had dedicated his life to the Queen and tragically died just before his 100th birthday in June this year.