His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh

 
While we mourn the death of Prince Philip, our grief is at least softened by the fact that we are also celebrating a long and truly remarkable life.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh knew war and peace, empire and commonwealth, turbulence and tranquility.

Throughout it all, he never lost his famously irreverent sense of humour, nor his equally celebrated dedication to public service.

During his many decades devoted to his Queen, his nation and the Commonwealth, he also became an enduring part of the story of our nation.

Following his first visit to Australia in 1940, as a midshipman aboard the battleship Ramilles, he eventually became a regular visitor to our shores.

He developed multiple connections here and ultimately built a lasting legacy, not least the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, which has enhanced and expanded the lives of nearly 800,000 young Australians - and counting.

Prince Philip’s death brings to an end one of the most remarkable and enduring partnerships of our time.

Queen Elizabeth often found ways to describe the utter centrality of Philip in her life. Indeed, she once said that she owed him “a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”

On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I extend my condolences to Her Majesty and the Royal Family.