On behalf of the people of Warrington South, I extend my sympathies to Her Majesty the Queen and members of the royal family. As the end of the debate draws near and we reflect on the many kind words from hon. and right hon. Members, I want to pay a brief tribute to His Royal Highness The Prince Philip from constituents in Warrington South, with a few stories that they have told me since hearing the news on Friday,
After the Warrington bombing in 1993, it was the Duke of Edinburgh who came to the town and attended the memorial service at Warrington parish church on behalf of the Queen, alongside the then Irish President, Mary Robinson. Having experienced the death of his beloved uncle as a result of terrorism, the Duke spoke movingly with the families of Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry at the rectory after the service, eager to comfort them following the loss of their two children. Warringtonians are proud of the part that the town played in generating the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Duke of Edinburgh was very much involved from the start, striving for reconciliation.
The Prince’s most recent visit was during the diamond jubilee celebrations in 2012, when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh came to Warrington to open what is now known as the Orford Jubilee Hub. The Duke disappeared after burying a time capsule. He embarked on one of his famous walkabouts and spent twice as much time as he was supposed to chatting to local people. He wanted to spend time outside with the crowds, rather than, as he said, seeing another newly painted gymnasium.
My final tribute is from Sam Crossley from Great Sankey, who emailed to say that in 2015, then aged 15, he took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Sam has cerebral palsy and completed the expedition mainly using a wheelchair. He took part in the award with the rest of his team, demonstrating true commitment to working together, and negotiating many obstacles, including a stile, in a wheelchair. Sam says that that truly life-changing experience was possible because of Prince Philip’s determination to run a scheme to help young people develop the skills and resilience to do well in life.
Prince Philip did well by others in his life, and I send our most sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen on behalf of everyone in Warrington South.
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