Duke of Edinburgh dies

 Duke of Edinburgh dies

Early this morning it was announced from Windsor Castle, that the Queen's loyal and steadfast husband His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh had died. In the light of everything that has happened during the last year this would not have come as a shock and entirely unsurprising since Prince Philip had reached the venerable age of 99. He was an old man with all the ailments, back pains, stresses and strains that might have been expected of a person of his age. But His Royal Highness had died peacefully at Windsor Castle surrounded by his deeply mournful and grief stricken wife Her Majesty the Queen. 

For all of his lovable eccentricities, quirks and verbal gaffes, the Duke of Edinburgh will always be regarded as a noble, honourable, fine and upstanding public figure who brought stability to not only the monarchy but also behaved with a lifelong dignity and grace that none of us can possibly question or gainsay. We all remember the great Duke's periodic tactlessness, that infinite capacity for putting his foot in it and making the kind of outrageous comments that in retrospect seem ever so quaint now. 

But this morning Britain, the Commonwealth and the whole world lost a man who always preferred to keep firmly in the background, never envious of those in his family who might have been permanently destined to claim the front page headlines on a daily basis. Prince Philip was worldly wise, well informed on most subjects and never afraid to be less than diplomatic. He led a life of unstinting service and dedication to the role of  husband to Her Majesty the Queen. He was there for his family, determined to put family first, prioritising his children, nurturing them through thick and thin and equally as gracious as his wife. 

Most of the cynics though would rather choose to recall those blunt assessments on the world around him and the people he met. There were the adorably sarcastic asides which in a way many of us seemed to warm to, the plain spoken irreverence but then the charming gentleman who just wanted to be one of the boys. Of course Prince Philip never held back and never suffered fools gladly but this may have been due to the fact that he was simply reacting to something that must have seemed patently obvious. 

There were the Royal visits to factories where the Duke apparently made contentiously racist remarks, the alleged criticisms of those belonging to the establishment who probably needed to be taken down a notch or two. The Duke was notoriously sharp, down to earth, pragmatic, no nonsense but that has become common knowledge. We all knew he was economical with the facts and could always be relied on to deliver the devastating put down when the occasion warranted it. 

But the truth is that the Duke of Edinburgh created the Duke of Edinburgh award, an accolade bestowed on the few and deservedly so. It was an award given to those who had done notable voluntary and charitable work on behalf of their country. When you were awarded with the Duke of Edinburgh award you must have felt as though that this was the highest personal achievement you had ever been a part of..You felt important and recognised, the centre of attention, the universe and then utterly privileged. 

Throughout the years and decades Her Majesty the Queen has always sung the praises of a man she referred to as her rock and stay, a man of appropriate elegance, smart navy jackets gleaming with discreet buttons, a man of substance and breeding. The Duke was the quiet, unassuming figure who always stood a couple of paces back from his wife because that was royal protocol. 

After a difficult childhood, the Duke of Edinburgh blossomed into maturity as the irresistible naval officer type who the Queen fell deeply in love with at first sight. Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth duly married in 1947 and then adopted the background role of husband to the Queen after the Coronation in 1953.

Then the Prince seamlessly eased his way into life as a vastly supportive influence and an ever present source of inspiration to the Queen on all occasions. He was there when the whole of the family gathered onboard the QE2, the moments when the family came together on special occasions on summer holiday get togethers at Balmoral. He was there to smile warmly at his wife when there were troubles within the Royal Family unit. He was there to pick up the emotional pieces when Princess Diana tragically died in a Paris car crash. Of course there were the unfortunate comments but Prince Philip was very restrained in his dealings with those who fell foul of him. 

Famously of course he will always be renowned as a keen carriage driver, taxi driver, outspoken on both the environment, wildlife and people who couldn't possibly agree with him. But above all Prince Philip was always a family man, a man of the people, a man who cared passionately about Britain, the Commonwealth and the world. 

But then age intervened, the face became puckered and heavily lined, the eyes almost seeming to be  now completely shut. The reflexes had obviously become slower, the walk even more deliberate than ever and the life force now fading to its dimmest light. After a whole number of hospital stays, Prince Philip's most recent hospital confinement would sadly be his last. He was carefully ushered into the back of a waiting car and the once vibrant face had now become gaunt, haggard almost sunken beyond recognition.

So Britain and the world will now mourn the loss of  His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, unfussy, straightforward, straight speaking and unforgiving of those who were, in his eyes, disagreeable. Her Majesty the Queen has lost a devoted husband, an inquisitive man with firmly held opinions, a compassionate man who always craved enlightenment and knowledge but could be ruthless when he felt the time was right. The nation and the world will grieve the loss of a Prince. A veritable Prince Charming.