Prince Harry’s tribute to Prince Philip in full: What Duke of Sussex said about his grandfather

Prince Harry has released a tribute to his grandfather, Prince Philip, following his death on Friday.

He and his brother Prince William are the first of Philip’s grandchildren to publicly honour his memory, and Harry light-heartedly summed him up as “master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right till the end”.

The Duke of Cambridge, meanwhile, described the duke as an “extraordinary man”.

Here, we look in detail at Harry’s tribute:

“My grandfather was a man of service, honour and great humour.”

Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy in 1939, aged 18. During WWII, he served in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets and was in active military service until 1952 – at which point he had become a commander.

As well as this, the Duke was the longest serving consort in British history, as he was married to the Queen for 73 years.

“He could hold the attention of any room due to his charm—and also because you never knew what he might say next.”

What characterised the late Prince, aside from his status, was his tendency to make uncomfortable comments which sometimes landed him in trouble.

“British women can’t cook,” he declared in 1966. He also shouted: “Damn fool question!” to a BBC journalist who asked the Queen if she was enjoying her stay in Paris in 2006. Perhaps she wasn’t.

But some of his comments have been criticised for being more than mere gaffes, and he was accused of racism on different occasions.

During a royal visit to China in 1986, he described Beijing as “ghastly” and said to British students: “If you stay here much longer you’ll all be slitty-eyed.”

In 1994, he asked residents of the Cayman Islands: “Aren’t most of you descended from pirates?”

“He was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end.”

The thought of Prince Philip keeping a watchful eye on sausages, and shouting: “Liz, pass the ketchup!” is striking to the point of being unbelievable, but his banter and cheeky wit is something he was also well-known for – when he kept it politically correct of course.

Speaking about his horse loving daughter Princess Anne, he once said: “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she isn’t interested.”

"I wish he’d turn the microphone off!" he said of Elton John’s performance at the 73rd Royal Variety Show, 2001.

“He has been a rock for Her Majesty the Queen with unparalleled devotion, by her side for 73 years of marriage”.

The Queen and Prince Philip met when she was 13 and they began exchanging letters while he was in the Navy.

On their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1997, the Queen said: “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.”

“While I could go on, I know that right now he would say to all of us, beer in hand, ‘Oh do get on with it!’”

Prince William also released a statement today about the death of the Duke which mentioned Prince Philip’s stoicism. He said: “I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.”

“You will be sorely missed, but always remembered—by the nation and the world. Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts.”

Meghan is pregnant with the couple’s second child, and will therefore not travel to attend Prince Philip’s funeral.

After the couple moved to America, they said they kept in touch with the Duke by Zoom. Prince Harry joked that his grandfather ended calls by slamming the laptop shut and shouting: “doof!”

“Per Mare, Per Terram.”

This is the motto of the Royal Marines and is Latin for “by sea, by Earth.” Philip had a great passion for the Navy.

And what did William say?

In his statement, William spoke candidly about Philip’s relationship with Kate and expressed his gratitude for the “kindness he showed her”.

He also highlighted the special bond between the duke and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who would have “special memories” of being picked up in a horse-drawn carriage by their “great-grandpa”.

William pledged to uphold his grandfather’s wishes and continue, along with wife Kate, to support the Queen and “get on with the job”.

He said about Philip: “My grandfather’s century of life was defined by service – to his country and Commonwealth, to his wife and Queen, and to our family.

“I feel lucky to have not just had his example to guide me, but his enduring presence well into my own adult life – both through good times and the hardest days.”

William added: “I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her.

“I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humour!”