I write this with great sadness following the passing of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

I have sent a letter to Her Majesty the Queen on behalf of the people of West Dorset to express my deepest of sympathies to her and the rest of the royal family at this time. I know there is a profound sense of affection and care among us, not only for what Duke of Edinburgh has stood for all these years, but also his selfless lifelong service.

The loss of a partner of over seven decades is devastating to anyone, and I would not presume to know Her Majesty’s feelings. However, I would wish her to know that the country is standing alongside her in support and sharing in her grief. I hope that this will bring her a small comfort.

His Royal Highness completed more than a staggering 20,000 solo engagements between 1952 and 2017 while also being a loving father and grandfather, and loyal husband. We in West Dorset have been fortunate enough to welcome the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen on several occasions.

He visited Sherborne in 1998 when Her Majesty unveiled the Great West window of the Abbey and again in 2012 as part of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee tour. On this trip, they visited again the ‘Cathedral of Dorset’ as a stage on the Queen’s route around the UK after 60 years as our Sovereign.

In 2016, Her Majesty and the Duke came to Dorchester with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to open Queen Mother Square. It was a wonderful day seeing the royal family come together to celebrate the opening of such a landmark of our county town.
It is hard to quantify the impact that Prince Philip has had on our nation as a remarkable man with a turbulent life that was entwined with almost all major events of the past hundred years. He stood by the side of Her Majesty the Queen for over 70 of those years, sacrificing a private life for one of devoted public service.

The Duke of Edinburgh will remain steadfastly in our country’s national memory as flags fly at half-mast in West Dorset and across the country. My thoughts and prayers are with Her Majesty and the Royal Family.

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