His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Lord Bishop of London Excerpts

Monday 12th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of London [V]]

My Lords, it is a privilege to follow so many distinguished noble and noble and gallant Lords, including my noble friend the most Reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury. They have all spoken so warmly, and I wish to add my tribute to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Noble Lords will know that it is my honour to be not just the Bishop of London but the Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal.

I would like to start with words from Alfred Tennyson:

“Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar

When I put out to sea”.

Of course, these are words from his poem “Crossing the Bar”, which was sung by the choir of St Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday evening as part of evensong, following the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Crossing the bar is to cross the sandbar between the tide of life and its outgoing flood, and the ocean which lies beyond death. The poem speaks of a life well lived, so that there is no sadness or farewell but instead a journey peacefully travelled, serenely and securely.

We have much to be grateful for in the life of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. It was a life of dedication. That dedication is clear in his naval career, during which he saw active service in the Second World War, achieving the rank of commander. It is seen in his other passions: conservation, engineering and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We have heard much about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, not least from the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson. I am personally grateful for the award and its contribution to the formation of my children, and my nephews and nieces. But I think that to all of us, his dedication is clearest in his work to support Her Majesty the Queen.

In 2009, he became the longest-serving British consort in the history of our nation. To reflect now on their life of dedication to one another and to the people they govern teaches us much about service. They had been married for over 73 years and, side by side, travelled all over the world from Australia to America, Africa and India, flying the flag for the Commonwealth of which Her Majesty is the figurehead. They have shared total commitment in their duties and service. They have always had each other to lighten the burden of public life.

His Royal Highness will be remembered for his gift of putting others at ease, which others have spoken of today in your Lordships’ House, and for his ability to enter into conversation on any topic with great knowledge. The most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of His Royal Highness’s ability to dissect a sermon. I was impressed when he engaged on a sermon I had just delivered while also recognising the intersectionality of my health service background and my faith.

That desire for the engagement of faith with the secular world was also seen in his work with St George’s House, which thrives on debate, discussion and dialogue as a way of nurturing wisdom that can be put to use in the wider world. I and many others have benefitted gratefully from its work.

His Royal Highness has touched us all and will continue to do so for generations to come. In the words also used by the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury, I pray that Her Majesty the Queen will know the promise of the psalmist:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”


I also pray that His Royal Highness, as a man of faith, will see his pilot, the good shepherd himself, face to face. In the words of Tennyson,

“For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crost the bar.”