It is the couple’s enduring love story which has driven much of thegrief in Britain following his death.For 73 years they have been the foundation and rock of the United Kingdom. That’s now gone,at a time when Brits are suddenly uncertain about what the future holds.And a time when the royal family itself is fracturing.
A common theme among mourners outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on Friday was a desire to pay respect to Philip but also a genuine concern for the Queen’s welfare after the loss of her husband. The partnership between Queen and consort also infused many tributes from those who observed it up close.
“At the Queen’s side or trailing the customary two steps behind,Prince Philip showed the world what it meant to be a supportive husband to a powerful woman,” former US president Barack Obama said.
The royal couple with the then US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in London in 2011.Credit:AP
“Yet he also found a way to lead without demanding the spotlight - serving in combat in World War II,commanding a frigate in the Royal Navy,and tirelessly touring the world to champion British industry and excellence. Through his extraordinary example,he proved that true partnership has room for both ambition and selflessness - all in service for something greater.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Queen got it right when she suggested in 1997 that the country was in debt to Philip for his interests and advocacy.
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“We remember the Duke for all of this and above all for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen. Not just as her consort,by her side every day of her reign,but as her husband,her ‘strength and stay’,of more than 70 years,” Johnson said.
“And it is to Her Majesty,and her family,that our nation’s thoughts must turn today. Because they have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure,but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father,grandfather and,in recent years,great-grandfather.”
Robert Lacey,a royal historian and consultant on hit Netflix seriesThe Crown,also credited Philip with bringing the monarchy into touch with every day life in a modern way. “So many of the Queen’s fresh ideas and fresh initiatives came from this remarkable man,” Lacey said on Friday.
Before the pandemic,Philip and the Queen had often been physically apart. The 94-year-old monarch was based in Buckingham Palace but Philip had retired from public duties in 2017 so would often be found at Wood Farm Cottage on the secluded Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Risks from the pandemic brought them back under the one roof at Windsor Castle - time the Queen will be thankful for. The royal couple’s year together,isolated from the world,was probably the only time off from public service since the telegram arrived in Africa in 1952 to tell Elizabeth that she was now the Queen.
But like many ageing parents in Britain,they also endured separation. The threat of COVID-19 deprived Philip of contact with most of his broader family during his final months.
Prince Philip died two months short of his 100th birthday.Credit:AP
Despite a long,rich and rewarding life,his death has still come as a shock to many here,and is another blow to the national psyche after the national trauma of a deadly pandemic. Even newsreader Martine Croxall struggled to hold back tears as she announced Philip’s death on the BBC.
As former prime minister Tony Abbott observed,this towering figure has been in the public consciousness for so long now that it will take time to grasp that he’s gone.
We can only imagine how the Queen must feel.