Portsmouth pays respects to the Duke of Edinburgh
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For updates and reaction from today’s funeral go to portsmouth.co.uk
TODAY Portsmouth will pay its respects to the Duke of Edinburgh as his funeral is held.
And if the contributions made to a Book of Condolence for Prince Philip are any indication, it’s a day that the city will feel keenly – perhaps because of the mutual affinity for the Royal Navy.
JPIMedia – which publishes newspapers across the UK – invited its readers to submit their messages of tribute to Prince Philip and they have come flooding in.
A quarter of the total to date have arrived from Portsmouth, a number that rises to nearly a third of the total when neighbouring Sussex is included.
The Duke had strong naval connections with Portsmouth so the large outpouring of grief may not be surprising.
Edinburgh – the city from which Prince Philip took his dukedom – comes a close second in the ranking of responses.
Belfast, Yorkshire, the home counties and the Midlands were also well represented.
But readers have been more reticent in the North East of England – where total contributions represented less than four per cent of the total.
In Portsmouth, Cllr Lynne Stagg left a message. She wrote: ‘He has been an inspiration to thousands of young people throughout the world through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme which transformed the lives of many of those youngsters.
‘Along with the Queen he attended a reception for veterans in the Guildhall in 2009 for the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
‘It was a wet and chilly day and some of us councillors waited on the Guildhall steps for when they both came out of the Guildhall.
‘He spotted us and said “Are you still here? You must be wet through and cold. Go home and get dry and warm!” Very typical of this down-toearth and caring man.’
Sheenagh Carruthers from Torrington Road wrote: ‘My thoughts are with Our Queen at this sad time. My late husband served in the Royal Navy and they are the best husbands .... ’
Carol Jenkinson from Waterlooville wrote: ‘Thoughts are with HRH The Queen and all the family at this sad time.
‘Like so many I have never known a time without Prince being beside the Queen, such a team together. I have lots of memories passed on through my parents.
‘My father was a Colonial police officer in Kenya that received the message about the death of the King.
‘He later met Prince Philip on several occasions while sailing in the Solent and the social events afterwards.
‘In later years my parents also took up carriage driving with Caspian horses in WA, and I was lucky enough to attend a show in Windsor park with them. Such happy memories.’
Messages from Portsmouth will be published in The News on Monday in an eight-page souvenir supplement of today’s funeral.
They will also appear on the company’s national news website, NationalWorld.com as well as hundreds of weekly newspapers.
There is still time to leave your memory or tribute. Go to https://bit.ly/32epb8p