By Gabriella Payne
Prince Philip, the longest-serving consort of any British monarch, sadly passed away “peacefully and gently” over the weekend, and people around the world have paid tribute to the pillar of the British royal family, including some a little closer to home.
The sad news of Prince Philip’s passing was announced in a statement from Buckingham Palace on Friday 9 April; just a few months before he was set to celebrate his 100th birthday.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the statement read.
Prince Andrew later revealed in a statement that his father’s death had left “a huge void” in Queen Elizabeth’s life, as she mourned the loss of her husband of 73 years.
Over the span of his life, Prince Philip travelled the world completing his royal duties and supporting his wife – and made 20 voyages to Australia in that time.
On February 24 in 1963, the royal couple visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground – where Med Jones-Roberts, a Cora Lynn local, managed to snap this stunning photograph of the pair.
Mr Jones-Roberts’ niece, Heather Arnold, said that this photograph had been kept in her Grandma Veda Thewlis’ photo album for years now and it was a bit of a family heirloom.
“I think it’s such a great photo,” Ms Arnold said.
“It has always been in the family album, and it’s just such an exceptionally clear photo for the time.”
Ms Arnold’s family have lived in Cora Lynn since 1903 and she said that this photo wasn’t the only link her family had to the royal family.
“My other ‘connection’ to Prince Philip is through my aunty, Nancy Rouse,” she said.
“Nancy was chaplain at the Royal Women’s Hospital in the 1970s/ early 80s and the Queen and Prince Philip visited to open something (a new ward perhaps), and Nancy said ‘Prince Phillip bounded across the room’ and started talking to her and the others she was with.
I just remember that description ‘bounded across the room’ – I just love that expression,” Ms Arnold said.
A royalist herself, Ms Arnold said she was devastated to hear the news of the Prince’s passing as even though she knew he had “had a good life” and lived for 99 years, it was “sad” to think of how the Queen must be feeling.
“It’s sad. They’ve been married for so long, 73 years now, and to think you’ve spent all that time with someone – you just can’t imagine anyone being married that long,” Ms Arnold said.
“I just think it’s sad that such a great partnership and marriage has come to an end.”
Another local, Rosemary Loughnan, had her own fond memories of when the royals came to visit.
Ms Loughnan said that she “still remembers” the day that her whole school went to see Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when they came to visit Royal Park, back when she was a grade six student.
From memory, Ms Loughnan said there had been about 40 students and two teachers from Dudley State School near Wonthaggi, who made the journey into the city to wave to the royals as they went past.
“We went to a designated spot and stood on either side of the drive in Royal Park… from memory [there were] thousands of us,” Ms Loughnan said.
“I remember them going past, standing up in an open vehicle (perhaps a ute type thing).
They were waving to us and it has stuck in my memory. I was 11 years old,” she said.
A royal ceremonial funeral is set to be held to commemorate the life of Prince Philip at St George’s Chapel (within the grounds of Buckingham Palace) on Saturday 17 April.
