His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Bob Seely Excerpts

Monday 12th April 2021 Commons Chamber

[Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) (Con)]

I am very happy to limit myself to five seconds, Mr Speaker, if you want to get somebody else in.

On behalf of Islanders, I pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh’s remarkable life and send my condolences to Her Majesty. The Duke visited the Isle of Wight on many occasions, and what brought him back again and again was his love of sailing. He was a regular at Cowes Week and helped to redesign the event in the 1960s. He had many friends on the Island, including my cousin David, who served with him in the Navy and on HMS Chequers, and was stationed in Malta with him in 1949, when the Duke was kind enough to be godfather to David’s son. In much of what he did, the Duke had the desire to make things better, always to look ahead and always to look over the horizon.

Finally, one of the most remarkable things about the Duke for me was that he combined an intense masculinity and manhood—leading men, being able to sail, shoot, hunt, philosophise and write—with an extraordinary respect for his wife and for women. I thought he was a remarkable man, for all of that.

[Mr Speaker]

Order. As we end the contributions to this motion for a Humble Address, it is a sign of the high regard in which the Duke of Edinburgh was held that so many Members have made such moving tributes. Today has brought the House together, and it is at its best when it is together. May The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, rest in peace.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved, nemine contradicente,

That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty expressing the deepest sympathies of this House on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the heartfelt thanks of this House and this nation for his unfailing dedication to this Country and the Commonwealth exemplified in his distinguished service in the Royal Navy in the Second World War; his commitment to young people in setting up The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a scheme which has touched the lives of millions across the globe; his early, passionate commitment to the environment; and his unstinting support to Your Majesty throughout his life.

Adjournment

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(David Duguid.)