Tributes to His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Part of Assembly Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 12:15 pm on 12 April 2021.

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Photo of Naomi Long Naomi Long Alliance 12:15, 12 April 2021

I extend my thoughts and prayers and those of the Alliance Party to the royal family at this sad time. My condolences go in particular to Her Majesty The Queen, who has lost her husband, constant companion and support of over 73 years. No matter what your role or how public your life is, that is a devastating thing to experience.

The Duke of Edinburgh lived a remarkable life. After years of distinguished service in the Royal Navy, including in wartime, he left behind the naval career that he loved and in which he excelled to support the Queen when she became monarch. He became the longest-serving royal consort in British history, leaving four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Throughout that time, whether by her side or the customary two steps behind, he demonstrated in practice what it means to be a supportive husband to a powerful woman. Speaking on their golden wedding anniversary, the Queen said of Prince Philip:

"he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know."

Of course, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, as the first royal consort since the days of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, had to carve out a role for himself in the life of the country, the royal family and the Commonwealth. He did that successfully over the last 73 years. He was a reformer and moderniser of the royal household, much in the way that Prince Albert was in his day, as he encouraged more informality and less protocol in engagements and promoted the use of new technology, particularly television, as a way to let people have greater insight into the life and work of the family and as a way to encourage industry to flourish. His work spanned his patronage of many charities at home and abroad. His passion and concern for the environment and conservation were evident long before such things were part of the popular discourse. His commitment to the World Wildlife Fund was unstinting, as its first UK president from its foundation in 1961 to 1982 and then as president of the World Wildlife Fund International from 1981 to 1996, continuing as president emeritus and patron until his passing on Friday. Vitally, his commitment to supporting young people to build their resilience, skills and confidence and, crucially, their commitment to public service led to the founding of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. That scheme and associated schemes such as the President's Award in Ireland have encouraged millions of young people from over 140 countries across the globe to work to improve themselves and their communities and is perhaps his best and most enduring legacy.

Prince Philip's was a long life well lived. I pray that the 73 years of happy memories and that life well lived will bring some comfort, in the difficult days and months ahead, to Her Majesty The Queen, the wider family circle and all those who loved him.