It is with great sadness that I heard the news of the death of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. My first thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen, to whom I have written to extend my condolences on the loss of her husband. I know this sorrow is shared by countless others across the Grantham and Stamford constituency, Lincolnshire, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth.
Prince Philip’s life was marked by 70 years of tireless public service, including fighting for Britain’s freedoms in the Second World War. We are forever grateful for his work to benefit the lives of young people, marked by the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme among the many charities and voluntary organisations in which he was involved. We can all learn from his devotion, fortitude, and sense of duty.
Here in Grantham and Stamford constituency, we have been fortunate to receive visits by Prince Philip to our three main towns. His contribution to the history of Stamford came in 1961 when he and Her Majesty the Queen celebrated the quincentenary of the town by hosting a gala at Burghley House. We were fortunate to welcome Prince Philip to Grantham in 1973 to inspect local schools’ Duke of Edinburgh participants, and in 2013 we received him in Bourne where he opened the Turing Centre at Bourne Grammar School.
Above all else, the Duke was a constant support and trusted counsellor to Her Majesty the Queen as well as a much-loved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. The whole Royal Family is in our thoughts today as we mourn with them.
