Hammersmith and Fulham Pays Tribute To Prince Philip


The Duke of Edinburgh's death at the age of 99 announced


The Duke of Edinburgh was a regular visitor to Hammersmith and Fulham

Tributes have been paid to the Duke of Edinburgh following the announcement of his death this Friday (9 April) at the age of 99.

Hammersmith & Fulham Leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan, said Prince Philip would ‘forever be remembered’ by so many people who benefitted from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme when they were young.

“He was a hard-working, dedicated member of the Royal Family whose diligent support for the Queen has been steadfast throughout her long reign,” Cllr Cowan added. “The people of Britain will always be particularly grateful for Prince Philip's service during the Second World War.”

News came from Buckingham Palace confirming the death of the husband and consort of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

A virtual book of condolence has been opened so residents can send their personal messages to the palace.

The Duke of Edinburgh visited Hammersmith & Fulham on many occasions, in an official capacity and socially.

Two days after the Queen’s coronation in June 1953 he and the new monarch drove through the streets of west London in an open-top car, cheered by tens of thousands on a route which included Askew Road in Shepherd’s Bush.

The following month, the Queen and the duke were at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham to attend the Commonwealth and Empire Coronation Call.

In 1957, the Duke took nine-year-old Prince Charles and seven-year-old Princess Anne on a trip to Bertram Mills circus at Olympia.

As patron of the London Federation of Boys’ Clubs, the Duke of Edinburgh also visited the Brunswick Boys’ Club (now the Brunswick Club) in Haldane Road, Fulham.

Prince Philip later became patron of the Hurlingham Club and was a regular visitor to events staged there – notably polo, a sport he greatly enjoyed.

In 1971, he was guest of honour at the World Wildlife Fund’s 10th anniversary ball, staged at the Hurlingham, and in 2004 he performed the official opening of the club’s expanded function hall.

One of the more unusual items of glass and silverware in Chelsea Football Club’s trophy cabinet is the Prince Philip Cup, which he presented to Blues captain Ray Wilkins in 1975 after a charity match against an Italian U23 Xl in aid of the National Playing Fields Association.

As recently as the summer of 2017 the duke and the Queen watched the finals of polo’s Queen’s Cup from the upper balcony of the royal box at the Hurlingham club.

Later that summer, at the age of 96, the duke stopped carrying out public engagements, though he remained a supportive patron of more than 780 organisations.

Between 1952 and 2017 he performed 22,219 solo engagements.

The awards which bore his name, and which grew into the world’s leading youth achievement scheme, were set up by Prince Philip in 1956. Hundreds of young people in Hammersmith & Fulham have benefited from the scheme over the years.

For more details about the Duke of Edinburgh awards, visit the DofE website.

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April 9, 2021