Below is the speech of TUV group leader Matthew Armstrong at this week’s special meeting of Mid and East Antrim council:
The celebrated preacher CH Spurgeon is reputed to have said of Her Majesty The Queens’ great-great-grandfather Prince Albert – “It takes more skill than I can tell, to play the second fiddle well”
How aptly, Mr Mayor, that could also be said of His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh who became quite possibly the most famous husband on earth.
His was a long life, well lived, sadly falling just short of 100 full years. In his longevity, he was present at the surrender of Japan in 1945, was married for 73 years and became the longest consort to a sovereign in British history. Indeed, part of a speech delivered by Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the couples Golden Wedding anniversary gave a wonderful example of that longevity even then when she said:
“What a remarkable fifty years they have been: for the world, for the Commonwealth and for Britain. Think what we would have missed if we had never heard the Beatles or seen Margot Fonteyn dance: never have watched television, used a mobile telephone or surfed the Net.
“We would never have heard someone speak from the Moon: never have watched England win the World Cup or Red Rum three Grand Nationals. We would never have heard that Everest had been scaled, DNA unravelled, the Channel tunnel built, hip replacements become commonplace. Above all, speaking personally, we would never have known the joys of having children and grandchildren.”
For most of those years, however, the Duke dedicated himself to service. Military service, service to his Monarch and service to his country.
At all times a selfless sacrifice for those whom he loved and those who loved him. Forever diligent in his support of his wife Queen Elizabeth, a guiding hand to his children and a figure which carried the respect and admiration of the people both at home and abroad. As testament to this, at his retirement in 2017 he had carried out 22191 solo engagements and was patron, president or member of approaching 1000 organisations.
His life was touched by tragedy too, of the most brutal kind when in August 1979, his 79 year old uncle Lord Mountbatten was blown up by terrorists along with his 83 year old wife, his 14 year old grandson and 15 year old Enniskillen boy Paul Maxwell.
Through it all he was also someone with his own views who, at times, was not afraid to voice them however colourful and in a day when so much in public life is managed by spin doctors that authenticity, that willingness to say what you mean and mean what you say was refreshing.
And doesn’t it speak volumes that though many years separate the Duke’s generation and mine he will be forever remembered as someone who managed to connect with literally millions of people across the world through the fantastic Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme.
Last year 6,018 young people in Northern Ireland alone started their programmes in the area and 3,277 Awards were achieved. There may not be a better example of service and indeed legacy than this to be found than this.
His passing has left a huge void in national life.
At the end of that Golden Anniversary speech Her Majesty The Queen herself again said it best:
“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but 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.”
On behalf of our council team and our constituents across Mid and East Antrim I extend our sympathies to those who feel his loss the keenest – his grandchildren, his children and especially Her Majesty the Queen.
God Save The Queen.