BBC local radio Service of the airwaves
Sunday 11th April 2021

Normally at this time I post about a service I have attended. This Sunday was an exception. Being my father’s 93rd birthday I was at his care home taking a conference call from my siblings. So I have to make do with the Service of the Airwaves on BBC local radio.

This has been a strange week. On Wednesday I received my second Covid jab, with no side effects this time. Otherwise a quiet week. Picking up my granddaughter from School starts again this week.

But Friday saw the news of the passing away of the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and consort to the Queen, just two months short of his 100th birthday. I have no connection to the prince, I have not even been in a crowd when the Queen and Prince have visited my home town, they have always visited whilst I had to be at work. The only connection is that I am married to a wonderful holder of Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. I know what helping others meant to the Duke. I found that the tone of some of the broadcasts were over the top, seemingly we are all supposed to mourn someone we have not met with a level of grief greater than we had when someone we know has died. I do not wish to be disrespectful, but neither do I want to be unrealistic. I respect Prince Philip for the many good causes he has championed.

But I do understand what it means to lose a parent and grandparents. I have watched how my father coped when my mother died combined with his fight against approaching dementia, he was devastated. I know how the Royal Family will be feeling. They need our prayers now, and they also need to be allowed to grieve, media attention has been over the top. Once the funeral is over I hope they respect their privacy.

Among the tributes were people who spoke of Prince Philip’s faith, which they said motivated him. I cannot remember his faith ever being mentioned when he was alive, which is not what I find odd, the odd thing is that none of the people mentioning that faith have said what the prince actually believed. The nearest was that Bishop of Leeds preached a sermon on Isaiah which the prince disagreed with and they discussed it afterwards.

Another thing that was revealed is that when The Queen and Prince Philip were distributing Maundy money at Wakefield Cathedral a few years ago they retired to the Dean’s house afterwards for drinks and Prince Philip drank India Pale Ale. I shall be having an IPA in his honour as I watch the funeral at the weekend.

The BBC local radio service was a celebration of the Life of Prince Philip, it ended with the great celebration of resurrection, Thine be the Glory.