Prince Philip could be an inspiration to the young - Yorkshire Post Letters

LIKE so many, I was sad to hear the news of Prince Philip’s death.

I cannot remember a time without him and Her Majesty and it will be a strange world. It was a sad end (albeit a long life well lived) to a sad and bitter year for the United Kingdom and the world.

I do hope it will be the young people who took up the baton of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and many others who benefited from his charities, who will now shine a light on a world that seems to be full of bitterness and hatred, and that they will show the spirit he inspired of ‘get up and get on with it’.

From: John Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

MANY years ago I wrote to HRH Prince Philip with a suggestion regarding rainforest loss, he being at that time the right and perhaps the only person to contact on such matters.

He sent me a gracious and friendly personal reply pointing out that this was already being pursued as ‘debt for nature swap’. That is more than one might have expected for an idea which was good but not original.

From: Janet Berry, Hambleton.

MY memory of the Duke was in the 1960s when he opened the chemistry labs at York University. Everyone was feeling quite nervous and he swept in and with a flourish,and pulled the cord covering the plaque, saying ‘Hope there isn’t an almighty flush’.

This made us all laugh and relax. The best accolade was from the scrap man who helped with his horses and he said he was treated as an equal. What a man, what a character. It makes you think of 73 years of service and Harry left after two.

From: Don Metcalfe, Anne’s Court, Halifax.

I HAVE a disturbed attraction to the BBC programme Songs of Praise, I often feel that the word “song “in the title might be changed to “talk”. I have been a church chorister for 76 years, have sung morning and evening services for most of that time but have rarely come across a full orchestra or banjo band.

I also note the amount of hymns that will never be heard again. But I give full marks for the programme which covered the life of Prince Phillip. The choice of hymns fully matched the story of the Prince’s life. All of the hymns were well known and well sung. Well done, BBC.

From: Mike Lacey, Elloughton.

THERE will be many lasting and well-deserved tributes to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, but would it not also be a fine memorial for a statue of him to be placed upon the vacant plinth in Trafalgar Square?