Two ofPrince Philip’s four children,Princess AnneandPrince Edward, have spoken out about their father’s legacy.
“But from society’s perspective, he was able to keep pace with the kind of technological changes that have such an impact…but above all that it’s not about the technology, it’s about the people,” Anne, 70, added.
Prince Edward, 57, looked back his father’s 73-year marriage toQueen Elizabeth.
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“My parents have been such a fantastic support to each other during all those years and all those events and all those tours and events overseas,” he said. “To have someone that you confide in and smile about things that you perhaps could not in public. To be able to share that is immensely important.”
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their four children.Tim Graham/Getty Images
Princess Anne spoke about her father’s “nomadic” childhood, settling in Paris as a child after being smuggled out of the Greek island of Corfu in a crate. Being much younger than his sisters, largely separated from his father and his mother’s mental health troubles, Anne said it “must have been really quite difficult.”
“He was virtually a refugee as this stage because he had nowhere else to go literally,” she said, adding that eventually attending the Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, made an “impact” on him.
Listen below to the episode ofour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Daywhere we are looking back atPrince Philip’s life and legacy.
As much asPrince Philipvalued his time at the boarding school, the only daughter ofPrince PhilipandQueen Elizabethadded that her father valued life experience in addition to academic learning.
“He believed there were things outside [of school] which were necessary to help you develop as an individual, which played to your strengths and if that weren’t academic there were other things that would be your strength,” she said.
Princess Anne and Prince Philip.Harry Dempster/Daily Express/Getty Images
The Duke of Edinburgh Award, a self-improvement program for young people ages 14 to 24, remains part ofPrince Philip’s legacy. The initiative has expanded to 144 countries.
Prince Philip and Prince Edward.Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
“My father got Lord Hunt involved in helping to shape how it would roll out and that was of course one of his geniuses, being able to find the right people to take things on and shape them,” the youngest child of the Queen and Philip continued. “The fact it has now spread to more than 140 countries, way beyond the Commonwealth, way beyond the English speaking world, is enormous testament to that original vision.”
News ofPrince Philip’s death at age 99 was announced on Friday.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness ThePrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the palace said in a statement. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”
They continued, “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
The monarch, 94, will refrain from carrying out any royal duties for the next eight days as she enters amourning periodand funeral plans are set in motion. Affairs of state will also be put on pause.
source: people.com
