MAIDENHEAD MP Theresa May paid tribute to Prince Philip during a special session in the House of Commons on Monday, paying tribute to “a man of so many talents”.
These, she said, included being a distinguished naval officer, an inventor, an innovator, a designer,
a painter, and a sportsman.
“What always struck me when he spoke, when I was having those conversations with him, was not just the incredible breadth and wide range of interests that he had, but the depth of know-ledge that he had about each of those interests.
“He did not just dip into a subject; he did not pick something up because it was fashionable.
“He was deeply interested, he cared, and he understood the importance of getting to know
the issues that he was involved in.”
Mrs May praised Prince Philip as “a man ahead of his time, particularly in the areas of the environment and conservation”.
She added: “I remember, on my first visit to Balmoral as Prime Minister, Prince Philip driving myself and my husband around the estate and talking to us about it. It was as if he knew every single inch of it.
“He talked about the ancient Caledonian forest, about the birds, many of which were protected, about the animals and plants on the estate, about the changes he had seen over the years, and about what was needed to ensure that the environment could be protected and enjoyed by future generations.”
Mrs May also highlighted the Duke’s connections to Berkshire: “He set up the Prince Philip Trust Fund, which provides grants to individuals and causes in the royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and many of my constituents will have benefited from that trust.
“It is one of his particular legacies that he had this passion for enabling young people to find themselves, challenge themselves, broaden their horizons and develop what are, for some, life-changing skills.”
She concluded: “All of us here in the UK and across the Commonwealth have so much to be grateful to him for, and we say thank you. He understood the requirements of responsibility, the demands of duty and the sacrifices of service.
“We will never see his like again.”