Ascot has led the tributes to Prince Philip from the sporting world after the Duke of Edingburgh, the husband of the Queen, passed away at the age of 99 on Friday.
The Duke had struggled with poor health this year and was treated in hospital for 28 days while battling an infection and a pre-exisiting heart condition.
Ascot, where Prince Philip attended many races alongside the Queen over the years, offered their condolences, saying it had ‘very happy memories’ of the Duke as a spectator.
Prince Philip, right, the husband of the Queen, passed away on Friday at the age of 99
The Duke of Edinburgh struggled with ill health this year and spent 28 days in hospital
‘We extend our deepest condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family at this time. We have very happy memories of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at Ascot where he accompanied Her Majesty The Queen on so many occasions and shared in her successes.
‘One of the most memorable moments was in 2012 when His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh presented Her Majesty The Queen with the Queen’s Vase after Estimate’s victory.
Chelsea were one of the first football clubs to pay their respects to the Duke with a statement on Twitter, writing: ‘Everyone at Chelsea FC is saddened to learn of the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Our thoughts are with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family.
Fellow London side Tottenham followed with their own message to the royal family, saying they were ‘deeply saddened’ by his death.
‘We are all deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
‘Our thoughts and sympathies are with Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family.’
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Spurs’ clash against Manchester United, boss Jose Mourinho admitted he had a ‘deep respect’ for the royals and sent his wishes to the family.
‘Sorry I just read some sad news about Prince Philip,’ he said. ‘I want to express my condolences to the Royal family.
‘To be very honest, I have a deep deep deep respect for the Royal family. All my condolences. It’s not just this country sharing this feeling.’
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho said he had a ‘deep respect’ for the royals and was saddened to hear of Prince Philip’s death, while Gary Lineker (R) hailed him for his service to the country
Leeds United posted a picture of the Duke shaking hands with their players before the 1965 FA Cup final against Liverpool, writing: ‘The thoughts of everyone at #LUFC are with Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family following the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.’
Manchester United tweeted their condolences and attached a photo of Philip shaking hands with legendary manager Sir Matt Busby.
Everyone at Manchester United is saddened by the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. We extend our sympathies to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family at this difficult time.
Manchester City, Burnley and Rangers also pitched in with tributes.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker hailed the Duke for ‘serving this country over many, many decades’.
Prince Philip attends the Rugby World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in 2015 with sons Prince Harry (L) and Prince William (R)
He presents the Wimbledon trophy to men’s champion Neale Fraser on centre-court in 1960
‘Sorry to hear that Prince Philip has passed away,’ he said. ‘Served this country over many, many decades. Sincerest condolences to Her Majesty, The Queen and The Royal Family. RIP Prince Philip.’
The FA announced their intention to honour his life by flying flags at Wembley and St George’s Park at half mast.
‘We have sent our deepest condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and our president, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, following the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh,’ it said on Twitter.
‘As a mark of our respect, all flags at @WembleyStadium and St. George’s Park will fly at half-mast.
And the Premier League wrote: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Our thoughts and condolences are with Her Majesty The Queen, The Royal Family and all those around the world mourning the loss of His Royal Highness.
‘As a mark of respect, players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute’s silence before kick-off at all Premier League matches played tonight and across the weekend.’
England captain Harry Kane joined the FA in paying his respects.
The Duke had a long-standing association with cricket and partnered more than 20 institutions
Prince Philip was a huge lover of sport and was often seen at cup finals for trophy presentations, as well as in the stands as a spectator.
He also had a long-standing association with cricket having been a keen player himself – and had partnerships with more than 20 cricketing institutions worldwide – including the Lord’s Taverners cricket charity.
They praised him for his dedication to their organisation having served as patron and president.
‘We’re very sad to hear of the passing of our Patron, Twelfth Man & former President, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. He took great interest in our charitable work & presented the Lord’s Taverners County Championship trophy to the winning county for 43 years. He’ll be greatly missed.’
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket board said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by his passing and highlighted his contributions to the sport through various cricket organisations, including trophy presentations and charitable work.
‘The England and Wales Cricket Board is deeply saddened at the death of H.R.H. Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh,’ a statement read.
Aintree pay tribute to the Duke with his picture on the big screens during a minute’s silence
Jockeys, trainers and owners bow their heads in respect during the period of rememberance
‘A lifelong cricket fan and talented allrounder in his playing days, the Duke served two terms as MCC President from 1949-50 and 1974-75 and becoming an honorary life member.
‘The Duke became Patron and Twelfth Man of the Lord’s Taverners in 1950, the same year the charity was founded. He also served as the President of the charity for two years between 1960-61.
‘He was instrumental in introducing the Lord’s Taverners ECB Trophy which is presented annually to the county champions. The trophy was introduced in 1973 with the Duke recognising that until that time, the champions had never received a physical trophy.
He continued the presentations of the Lord’s Taverners ECB Trophy and the Lady Taverners ECB Trophy along with medals to both men’s and women’s county champions at Buckingham Palace for 43 years until his retirement from royal duties in 2017.
Ian Watmore, ECB Chair said: ‘I’m sure I speak for the entire cricket family when I say how sad I am to hear of the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh.
‘His passion for the game we all love was well known and the trophies presented to the men’s and women’s county champions are a tribute to his dedication to our sport. We owe him a great debt for his support and passion over many decades.’
Aintree carried out a minute’s silence during the second day of the Grand National in Liverpool, displaying photos of him on their big screens around the course.
Jockeys, trainers and owners bowed their heads in respect to remember the life of the Duke, as they observed social distancing rules by spacing out.
Formula One also joined in the chorus of voices from sport with their own message.
‘The whole of Formula 1 wishes to pay tribute to Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, who dedicated his whole life to Great Britain and served his country with pride and devotion.’