Boris and Biden lead tributes
BORIS Johnson hailed the Duke of Edinburgh’s ‘extraordinary life’ as condolences flooded in from around the world yesterday.
The PM said Prince Philip had ‘earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth and around the world’.
He spoke of his bravery as a wartime Royal Navy officer and said: ‘From that conflict he took an ethic of service that he applied throughout the unprecedented changes of the post war era.
‘Like the expert carriage driver that he was, he helped to steer the Royal Family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.’
He praised him as an ‘environmentalist and a champion of the natural world long before it was fashionable’ and for inspiring young people through the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme, which he founded in 1956.
US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill said in a statement that Philip ‘gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family’ throughout his life.
‘The impact of his decades of devoted public service is evident in the worthy causes he lifted up as patron, in the environmental efforts he championed, in the members of the Armed Forces that he supported, in the young people he inspired, and so much more,’ they added, saying they ‘are keeping the Queen, Prince Philip’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in our hearts during this time’.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘On behalf of the people of Scotland, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen and the rest of the royal family. Prince Philip’s long contribution to public life in Scotland will leave a profound mark on its people.’
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair, said: ‘Throughout his long life, Prince Philip has shown how privilege ought to be marked by service.
‘The Church of Scotland shares in the nation’s sense of loss.’
Sir Keir Starmer said Philip had ‘dedicated his life to our country’ but he would be ‘remembered most of all for his extraordinary commitment and devotion to the Queen’.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, said: ‘His candour and his humour made many a serviceman and servicewoman chuckle on the countless visits that he made to the Armed Forces.’
Australia’s PM Scott Morrison said he ‘embodied a generation that we will never see again’.
Germany’s president FrankWalter Steinmeier said: ‘Prince Philip was popular and highly respected in Germany. I had the pleasure of personally experiencing his astute humour during our meetings in London and Berlin.’
A Kremlin spokesman said: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh, great-greatgrandson of Russian Emperor Nicholas I, was admired and will be mourned by many Russians.’
‘Embodied a generation’