Governor General of Papua New Guinea pays tribute to Prince Philip

GOVERNOR General Sir Bob Dadae on behalf of the nation expressed his condolences to HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, last night.

Grand Chief Sir Bob said the passing of Prince Philip marks a sad day in history not only for the Royal family but also the Commonwealth of Nations of which Papua New Guinea is a part of.

Grand Chief Sir Bob remarked on the long and outstanding service rendered by the Duke of Edinburgh over the last 70 years as nothing short of remarkable and a reflection of outstanding loyal service to the Queen, Country and the Commonwealth.

“The passing of the Duke of Edinburgh HRH Prince Philip marks a sad day in our history. A remarkable service of loyalty, love, sacrifice and dedication to the Queen, Country and the Commonwealth best describes HRH Prince Philip. During Her Majesty’s reign, Prince Philip had accompanied the Queen to Papua New Guinea on several occasions. Always a step behind the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh has been an unwavering support to the Queen and the Royal Family and took on the un-traditional role of supervising the royal household and raising the Royal Family at a time when household duties were the sole responsibility of housewives and mothers. As Her Majesty had once remarked, Prince Philip was ‘my strength and stay all these years.

“During World War II, Prince Philip served on various battleships and was involved in the battle of Crete and the battle of Cape Matapan among others. He was credited with saving the HMS Wallace which came under heavy bombardment from German bombers during the invasion of Sicily. His quick thinking, courage and resourcefulness at the time when he was only 22 years of age, led him to devise a plan that saved the lives of the crew of the HMS Wallace.

“On behalf of our nation, I extend to HM the Queen our Head of State and the Royal Family our deepest sympathies and condolences on the passing of HRH Prince Philip. A loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grand father of the Royal Family, Prince Philip will be long remembered as a constant and unfaltering support to the Queen. Thank you Prince Philip for a remarkable and distinguished service to the Queen and the Commonwealth. Rest in Eternal Peace.”