Archbishop of Canterbury pays tribute to ‘great life’ of Prince Philip – follow updates live

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have paid further tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh by updating the official website for their Royal Foundation with a black and white photograph of Prince Philip.

The picture shows the late duke smiling at the camera while dressed in a suit.

Prince Philip had a “remarkable willingness” to “take the hand he was dealt in life and straightforwardly to follow its call,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said.

Leading a remembrance service at the Canterbury Cathedral this morning, the archbishop said the duke was able to take the hand he was dealt and “search its meaning, to go out and on as sent, to inquire and think, to trust and to pray”.

He offered prayers to the duke and to the Royal Family, as well as to millions around the world suffering loss.

Major Ted Hunt, a 101-year-old veteran and former Queen’s Bargemaster, has remembered Prince Philip as a “tower of strength” for Queen Elizabeth II.

Speaking of his “happy memories” of serving the royal family, Mr Hunt told PA he believed the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh had a strong bond.

“Without him I don’t think she could have done it,” he said. “No-one could do her job so well as she does it unless things were good at home.”

“Clearly the way they look at one another, they like each other don’t they? You can’t act that out all the time non-stop,” he said.

Mr Hunt said he was also able to joke with Philip on occasion.

He also recalled one incident when the Bargemaster turned up a boat’s speed “a little faster than I should”.

Mr Hunt said the duke had responded by exclaiming: “Take care man, the bloody wash you’re making is damaging all these boats”.

“So he was quite happy to tell me off,” the veteran said.

Ultimately, he said that the duke “knew his job and he didn’t suffer fools gladly”.

Mr Hunt retired from royal service as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 1990.

The Duke of Edinburgh traveled to Ireland in 2011 “on a mission to heal history”, former president Mary McAleese has said.

Noting that Prince Philip had accompanied Queen Elizabeth on a historic visit marking the first from a British monarch in 100 years, Ms McAleese said the duke had also been on his own mission to promote peace.

“You can understand that security was very high, concerns were high. So he was there, as she has described in the past as her rock, but he was also there as a character in his own right,” Ms McAleese said of Philip, according to PA.

“A man who had come on a mission, as she had come, both of them had come on this mission in their own right to try and heal history, to ensure that for the future these two neighbouring islands would be characterised by good neighbourliness,” she said.

“He wasn’t just there as her company, if you like, her inevitable company, he was also there making a statement.”

The visit itself was widely regarded as an important milestone on the path to reconciliation following the Good Friday Agreement.

As the world remembers the Duke of Edinburgh, some of the fondest memories appear to be of his strong bond with the Queen.

One moment that has been widely shared since the Duke’s passing on Friday is a picture of the Queen appearing to giggle at him during a 2003 event at Windsor Castle.

Sophie Gallagher has the story behind the memorable moment:

Prayers were offered for the Duke of Edinburgh during a remembrance service held at the Canterbury Cathedral this morning.

Leading the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby asked that Prince Philip “may rest in peace and rising glory”.

“We may pray for comfort. We may pray and offer love for all who find that a great life leaves a very great gap,” he said.

The archbishop also offered prayers “for the Royal family and the millions that have themselves suffered loss” in the wake of Philip’s death.

The Land Rover that will be used to help transport the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin in a ceremonial funeral procession next week was designed with his help.

Tom Batchelor has the story on how Prince Philip helped design the Land Rover and on how it will be used during his funeral service to pay tribute to his creativity:

As the Canterbury Cathedral service for Prince Philip gets underway, you can livestream the event here on our website.

The service is being lead by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will address a small, socially-distanced crowd inside the cathedral as well as thousands of others across the country via a livestream.

Canterbury Cathedral is holding a remembrance service for Prince Philip as the UK continues to observe a period of national mourning.

The service is being livestreamed now on our website and is being led by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is also set to lead Prince Philip’s funeral next Saturday.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major praised the Prince Philip for his “compassion” in starting the Duke of Edinburgh award.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, he said the award “really was a remarkable thing” that Philip began.

“And of course it was aimed, not exclusive, it was aimed at all young people,” Sir John said.

However, he said the award was particularly aimed at “young people who weren’t sure they could meet their potential”.

“He wanted to show them that they could meet their potential,” Sir John said of Prince Philip.

“His compassion for that was absolutely genuine,” he said.