I never met Prince Philip but I shed tears for him out of considerable respect and awe for the man he was. In an age of vacuousness which passes for wisdom, Prince Philip was his own man. What does that mean to be one's own person? To never follow fashion, to have original ideas, to be content in one's own company, to be the master of one's emotions, to eschew the superficial, to be modest. After Prince Philip's passing we came to understand that for decades he just carried on, carving a role that would become his legacy, supporting the Queen and his errant offspring and grandchildren. It is no small measure of a man that we only fully comprehend their vast accomplishments when they are gone. During his lifetime, Prince Philip never bleated about what he had done but now we can see that he was a force for good improving the lives of millions of young people in particular.
I wept too for the end of an era. Prince Philip had been around for my entire life. When the Queen goes I shall be equally as distraught. The Queen and Prince Philip are made of the stuff of legend. We shall never see the likes of them again.
Photo copyright SvD
