Prince Philip and his legacy

Queen comforted by tributes

TODAY’S TRIBUTES in Parliament to Prince Philip will have to be exceptional to match the very personal and touching anecdotes revealed by such a wide range of people after the death off His Royal Highness last Friday.

They have also provided rich insight into the Duke of Edinburgh, the longest serving Royal consort in history, and how his public persona, at times irascible, was at odds with the more private prince that they came to know and admire.

And weekend reflections by Dr John Sentamu, Sir John Major, Joanna Lumley and many more will comfort to the Queen as she comes to terms with the “huge void” left by the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing.

Yet Her Majesty, and the rest of the Royal family, will be equally touched by the gestures of goodwill from around the world – particularly all those who said the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme changed their lives for the better.

From Hannah Cockroft, the great Paralympian, to youngsters growing up in poverty in parts of Africa, these reminiscences continue to be a source of strength ahead of this Saturday’s ceremonial funeral at Windsor Castle.

They also explain why the Earl and Countess of Wessex, together with Prince Andrew, went out of their way to acknowledge the warmth of the public’s response to the Duke’s death after they left church yesterday.

Their words will be appreciated by families across the country and especially those, who know from personal experience in the past 12 months, just how difficult it is to lose loved ones, and plan for funerals, in the midst of a pandemic and lockdown.

As such, they will both empathise and sympathise with the Queen as she faces this period of mourning, and the rest of her recordbreaking reign, without her beloved husband of 73 years and whose full contribution to the monarchy, and wider life, is only now beginning to emerge.