I cried when I heard.
I have no idea why. You will not be in the least surprised to hear that I have never even met Prince Philip, although I did once wave to him from a distance when we went to sleep on the pavements outside Westminster Abbey when Prince William got married.
All the same, I was sad, and still am, most especially to think of the poor Queen, who is watching the sun set on a world in which he is not, for the first time tonight. It must be a grief beyond words, because they have been together for so long that my parents were children when they got married.
I would not have known, because I do not listen to the radio during the day any more, but Mark telephoned to tell me about it this afternoon. I was cooking, making everything ready for our long journey to Gordonstoun this weekend, so I put the radio on then, and listened to endless stories of his long life, most of which I knew, but it was nice to hear them again.
It seemed particularly odd and poignant, because of thinking of how many times somebody must have done exactly the same for him so many years ago. I imagined him getting to the end of his school holidays as well, and everybody realising that he had grown four inches and his uniform was too short, and making fudge for his tuck box, and sewing name labels into his Plus Est En Vous jumper, all of which I am doing for Oliver today.
He and the Queen must have done the same for Prince Charles. Prince Philip took him up in an aeroplane, bot a clapped-out camper van, but I expect they had the same sort of conversations about Doing One’s Best and Being A Good Egg, and Being Brave and Making The School Proud Of You.
There wasn’t anybody to say all of that sort of guff to Philip when he was a teenager, but I expect he said it to Charles. I don’t suppose Charles listened any more than Oliver does.
He started the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme because of Gordonstoun. When he married the Queen, the headmaster rang him up and said that he jolly well ought to, and Prince Philip, who was a man of his upbringing, said: Yes, sir, smartly, and did.
This was because Gordonstoun was set up to make children brave and adventurous and believe in duty and service and to grow up into fine young men. They have girls there now, which they didn’t in those days, but I expect they have managed to modify any bits that needed modifying to accommodate them. They don’t have cold showers now, unless the hot water isn’t working properly. This happens sometimes and they all whinge like mad, so probably things aren’t exactly what they used to be.
I have a cold shower every day. I think it should still be compulsory.
They still do adventure and duty and service, which is why Oliver is there. If he grew up to be Prince Philip I would be very proud of him.
Gordonstoun came on the radio and said that they were very sad. It is going to cast a cold shadow of grief over the first days back, because so many people there knew Prince Philip, and admired him. He was still involved with the school, not least for setting up funding for children of broke parents to go there, although Princess Anne took over a bit in the last months whilst he has been old and tired.
It should not be a terrible thing, because he was a hundred, but it is, because he was reliably upright and honest and fought for the things he believed to be right. The poor Queen will be so utterly, terribly alone without him. It is the end of an era, of a lost time.
I am going to stop writing before I cry any more.
4 Comments
I watched this evening’s late compilation of his life in photos and videos. I was pleased that one of the videos was a brief view of smallish boys in grey flannel shorts, some on their bikes, all rushing around to get somewhere they weren’t at yet – maybe breakfast. The whole compilation of the D of E’s life and the times he lived through was fascinating, much of which feels not at all like my life. of course, but with some of the milestone memories. Particularly when I was in the top year at junior school. On a perfectly ordinary day the classroom door burst open and there was the cook, all the way from the canteen down the road, astonishingly crying into her apron and declaring that The King was Dead. The kitchen staff had the radio on and were the only ones connected with the school who had heard the news. I’ve never forgotten that later we were told later how Princess/Queen Elizabeth and her Philip were staying at Treetops on a safari in Kenya which King George VI should have been doing but was too ill so they’d gone instead. But from today I mostly remember film clips of them both so young and beautiful, just catching each other’s eyes with intimately blazing smiles. What a good life he lived – even though having to walk two paces behind his Queen when in public. And goodness how she will miss him.
What a lovely, and interesting comment. Thank you.
Thank you Sarah. I found this a thought provoking and interesting piece. Plus est en vous lead me to read further about being mindful creating the best moments in life. I am really proud of receiving my D of E Gold award from Prince Philip and he picked me out to chat to. It strikes me that everything in the DofE award is a wonderful basis for future life. Physical fitness, community service, residential activities, developing a personal skill and of course planning and carrying out a number of arduous hiking and camping expeditions with friends. All good a template for a life well lived. Thank you for stimulating my thoughts in this way today. Keep up your excellent blog! Hope to see you soon (Saddleworth Marathon Walk beckons). Take care. Lots of love from clare x
Plus est en vous is the school motto, and it was the thing that made Oliver want to go there, they take it very seriously. The Gordonstoun life was the basis for the DofE award, and it is so much a part of the curriculum that you have qualified for the silver by the time you have reached the sixth form just by doing the normal daily stuff. Service is a huge part of it. Prince Philip, and before him Kurt Hahn, who founded the school and who was the head when Philip was there, are, I think, very admirable indeed.
I would very much like to be on the Saddleworth walk, fat and unfit as I am, but I don’t know how work will happen. If the Lakes is open for business by then we will have to work. If not then hurrah, we will see you then. x