Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
KENT PAYS TRIBUTE
HRH PRINCE PHILIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Respects have been paid across the district to the Duke of Edinburgh following his death at the age of 99.
His Royal Highness Prince Philip died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning. Flags were flown at half-mast across the district by the city council, as The Archbishop of Canterbury and MP Rosie Duffield joined those across the world in paying their respects to the British monarchy’s longest-serving consort.
The Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Cllr Pat Todd, expressed his condolences to the Queen and the Royal Family.
He said: “We join the rest of the country, and indeed the Commonwealth, in expressing our admiration for a man who dedicated himself to doing his duty, serving the public and supporting his beloved wife during her continuing and incredibly successful reign as our Sovereign.
“The Duke of Edinburgh won the respect of many as a military man during the Second World War and cemented it with his charitable work not least with the creation of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme, a scheme that has done enormous good for this country for almost 70 years.
“Prince Philip grabbed life with both hands, his interests many and varied not least the preservation of the environment.
“Our thoughts are with his family, who so obviously adored him, as they would be with any family facing such a sad and significant loss.”
Prince Philip - father to the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex - had been married to the Queen for 73 years. Having retired from public duties in 2017, he transferred his role of colonel-in-chief of The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, last July in a ceremony at Windsor.
He and the Queen spent most of the last 12 months isolating together at Windsor Castle in
HMS Bubble - the nickname given to the couple’s reduced household of devoted staff during lockdown.
Prince Philip spent a month in hospital, before returning to Windsor on March 16.
He was just two months away from his 100th birthday when he died on Friday. Prince Philip’s funeral will take place on Saturday, at St George’s Chapel within the walls of Windsor Castle. He will then lie in rest at Windsor, in line with his wishes. It will not be a state funeral and the public has been asked not to attempt to attend, in light of the pandemic.
A special service of remembrance was held at Canterbury
Cathedral on Sunday morning, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - who is also expected to lead the funeral.
The Archbishop spoke movingly on bereavement, and the “profound sorrow” of losing a loved one, even following “a very long life remarkably led”. He praised the Duke of Edinburgh’s willingness to “take the hand he was dealt in life and straightforwardly to follow its call”.
Following the service, The Lord Mayor of Canterbury laid flowers on behalf of the district under the Cathedral’s statue of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
See pages 22-25