Mumbai's 'dabbawalas' saddened by death of Prince Philip; share heartwarming anecdote

The famous tiffin carriers of Mumbai, also known as 'dabbawalas'  have expressed grief over the death of United Kingdom's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II who passed away at the age of 99 on Friday. Prince Philip was also the longest-serving consort in British history.

"On behalf of all the dabbawalas of Mumbai, I pay my heartfelt condolences to Prince Philip," said Raghunath Medge, an office-bearer of the dabbawalas' association.

In 2005, Medge and his colleague Sopan Mare had attended Prince Charles's second wedding with Camilla Parker Bowles. Medge recalled his eight-day visit to London for the Royal wedding and said they had an opportunity to have breakfast with Queen Elizabeth-II and Prince Philip, along with other Royal family members at Windsor Castle.

"At Windsor Castle, we had breakfast with the royal family twice when queen Elizabeth-II and her family members, including Prince Philip, were present," added Medge.

"Prince Charles has become our family member ever since he came to see us at Churchgate station in Mumbai in 2003. Therefore, we are saddened to hear the news of Prince Philip's death, and we stand by the family in the moment of grief,'" said Subhash Talekar, a leader of dabbawalas.

Prince Philip No More 

Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99, announced the British monarch on April 9. As per the official statement by the Royal Family, Philip passed away “peacefully” on Friday morning at Windsor Castle where he was recovering after spending nearly a month in a hospital following surgery. The flags at UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s residence Downing Street have also been lowered to half-mast following the announcement of Prince Philip’s death. 

Image : AP/PTI/Representative Image