Last Saturday, the Royal Buckingham Palace announced the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, prompting not only condolences but also memories of the prince's long record of famous remarks, including one connected to the ongoing pandemic triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak.
32 yrs ago Prince Philip spoke on the topic of reincarnation & what he would come back as if it existed.
— Rich (@DrSmartbat) April 9, 2021
“In the event that I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, to contribute something to solving overpopulation.”
German news agency Deutsche Press Agentur.
Considering his 74 years as spouse and companion of the English queen, being under the spotlight for more than seven decades has gotten the late Prince Philip under fire on more than once occasion; many times for not-so-serious remarks he made to the press.
Amongst the many incidents, the world has been remembering since the announcement of his death, is one he wrote as part of a forward for a 1980s book, in which he wished "he can be reincarnated as a deadly virus" so he contributes to solving the overpopulation of planet Earth.
wonder if prince philip regretted his wish to become a deadly virus if he was reincarnated to solve overpopulation when covid happened or if he was like "lol dope"
— chocolate chip charlie (@clowntowndotcom) April 9, 2021
It seems Prince Philip isn’t going to have to come back from the dead as a deadly virus, like he said, since his death has drawn masses, many not social distancing plus some without masks. His death and Covid is going to be one huge super spreader event! #COVIDIOTS
— Katiejane Hughes #BLM #Corbyn (@HughesKatiejane) April 11, 2021
According to a 2009 report by the Guardian celebrating the royal's 88th birthday, the prince's forward to Fleur Cowles' People As Animals (1988) read:
"In the event that I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, to contribute something to solving overpopulation"
Social media users have widely shared this excerpt in the wake of Prince Philip's death, arguing that his wish was "an evil one" that has come true, as the world continues to fight the deadly novel coronavirus, that has taken almost 3 million lives since it first appeared in December 2019.
Prince Philip once said “In the event that I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, to contribute something to solving overpopulation”. He played an active role in the colonial project in Yemen, and was responsible for the deaths and atrocities of thousands pic.twitter.com/ETyT01Nbc7
— ANTICONQUISTA (@ANTICONQUISTA) April 10, 2021
This incident is the second most recent statement made by the UK royals against what they call "the overpopulation of the Earth," as Prince Philip's eldest grandson and the second in line to the throne Prince William faced accusations of being "selfish" after press sources reported his family plans to have a fourth kid several years after he argued in 2017 that "people were having too many kids that he is afraid the world is overpopulated."
