Melania And Donald Trump Pay Tribute To Prince Philip, Send Condolences To Queen; Twitter Reacts

Melania Trump and former President Donald Trump have paid tribute to Prince Philip after Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle on Friday at age 99.

Shortly after the palace's announcement, the former first lady and her husband sent their deepest condolences to Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family for their loss.

"President Trump and I extend our deepest condolences to Her Majesty the Queen, the Royal Family, and the people of Great Britain as the world mourns the loss of Prince Philip," read the message posted via Melania's Twitter account.

The tweet received mixed reactions on the platform. While some Twitter users appreciated her extending support to the Queen, Melania referring to her husband as "president" raised some eyebrows.

"That is kind of you to acknowledge it, but please don't refer to your husband in the present tense as 'President', it would have been so much better to say 'my husband and I,'" one commented.

"Former President and I," another netizen wrote, as a third user added, "I think 'My husband and I' would have been more appropriate."

Others defended Melania, claiming it isn't wrong to refer to Trump as president despite no longer being in office. Several also thanked the ex-FLOTUS for her supportive message for the royal family.

"Once a president, always a president. What a great one he was," one commented.

"Thank you Melania for always being a ray of light. May god bless you and your husband and family. Thank you for your service maam," a second user wrote.

"Thankyou for showing respect at this sad time," another commented.

Other users noted that Trump and Melania made no mention of American rapper DMX, who died at age 50 on the same day as Queen Elizabeth's husband of 73 years.

Meanwhile, the former president released a statement, obtained by Independent, saying that the death of Prince Philip was an "irreplaceable loss for Great Britain, and for all who hold dear our civilization."

"Prince Philip defined British dignity and grace. He personified the quiet reserve, stern fortitude, and unbending integrity of the United Kingdom," Trump wrote.

He added that the late Duke of Edinburgh's "greatest legacy" will be "his exceptional example of service, constancy and patriotism."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also paid tribute to Prince Philip by posting a message on the homepage of their nonprofit organization's official website, Archewell, similar to how the royal family's official website paused content to honor the late royal.

"In loving memory of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote. "Thank you for your service...you will be greatly missed."