There have been many words of tribute to Prince Philip over the last few days, but please forgive me for adding just a few more, writes Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie.

I think it was really moving to hear so many kind words about the Duke from people in other countries, including former US presidents and Commonwealth leaders. There is no doubt we have lost a much-loved global figure.

I also know this was a man from the Finest Generation who fought Hitler’s Germany and the Japanese Empire with bravery in the Royal Navy. He was in Tokyo Bay to witness the surrender of the Japanese forces. He was from a generation that never wanted a fuss or to show too much emotion about things.

Prince Philip deserves a state funeral for his decades of public service by the side of The Queen. But he did not want one, and so Covid restrictions will not make much difference to how he planned his farewell. This is the mark of a husband and father who achieved a great deal, but always understood the limelight was not his.

It can sometimes be hard to see a person for what they were. My belief is Prince Philip will not suffer that problem. He was a trailblazer who played a supporting role to a powerful woman with dignity, but who was intelligent enough to carve out interests that changed lives and the world.

The sheer number of young, and now not so young, people across the UK and the world whose lives have been changed by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is remarkable. It is a fitting legacy but I think a greater one will be the Duke’s passion for environmentalism when it was so unfashionable. 

Prince Philip was a co-founder and the first president of the World Wildlife Fund from its foundation in 1961 to 1982. It was a time when there were very few global organisations in existence to help save species, especially with such a famous advocate at the helm. It was a visionary decision from a man, yet again, ahead of his time.

In this conservation role he visited Slimbridge several times, including way back in 1961, and I know many Stroud residents have fond memories of him.

There are calls for Parliament to honour the Duke in some way and I very much support this. I’m sure in the months to come, something fitting will be decided on.

Now we must all do our bit to support The Queen. I am sure the kind words and the tributes will be a comfort, along with her family. She will carry on in her duties, as she always has, but we know the loss will be keenly felt.