Prince Philip was most certainly a one-off

Prince Philip was most certainly a one-off

14 April 2021

ROWALLANE councillor Terry Andrews has posted a photo on his Facebook page recalling his father’s meeting with Prince Philip during a visit to Mount Stewart on the shores of Strangford Lough in 1968.

Mr  Paul Andrews — who was secretary of Killyleagh Wildfowlers at the time and heavily involved with the work of a conservation group connected with the internationally acclaimed waterway — often recalled with his family details of the meeting with the senior Royal.

The social media post, which shows the Prince deep in conversation with Crossgar man Mr Andrews and two others, took pride of place in the Killyleagh home of Herbie and Mary Andrews, Paul’s parents.

Not only that, a photo of their grandson Terry meeting Prince Andrew when he visited Killyleagh in 1995 also took pride of place in his grandparents’ home. 

So they had two photos of a father and a son meeting a Royal father and son.

“My father said he found the Duke of Edinburgh to be a perfect gentleman and enjoyed the conversation that he had with him,” Terry revealed.

“The Prince was quite interested about Strangford Lough, its environs and history. It was clear that while he had a full diary given his role as the Queen’s consort, he was way ahead of his time when it came to environmental, wildlife and conservation issues.”

Terry said the television coverage of the Prince’s life, which ended just a few short months short of his 100th birthday, brought many memories of his own family flooding back.

“Watching the old black and white footage and Prince Philip’s military service in particular brought back memories of my grandfather Herbie and his brothers, including my uncle, Andy Andrews, who joined the Royal Navy.

“My grandfather served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers as a Regimental Sergeant Major serving in India in the 1920s and in the Second World War in Belgium where, behind enemy lines, he was shot. 

“Miraculously, the bullet struck a pocket watch that his mother gave him, saving his life. Herbie was then evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940 and served in India and along  the Burma Road. After the war, he was discharged in 1947 after 22 years’ service.”

Terry revealed that his uncle Andy’s brother Albert also joined the RAF and signed up to serve the same day as Killyleagh World war Two veteran Martin ‘Tina’ Charters, who sadly passed away recently and flew many missions with Bomber Command.

In keeping with the family tradition, another brother of Terry’s uncle — Horatio, who was known as Rush — was a ‘Desert Rat’ serving under Field Marshal Montgomery to defeat the Germans in North Africa, with other family members joining the police and other services at home during the Second World War .

In addition, six brothers from the Andrews family left Killyleagh to serve in the first World War with all returning home safe.

Terry said he was pleased that politicians from across the political divide had extended their sympathy to the Queen and marked the contribution and dedicated service of Prince Philip.

“Tributes have poured in from across the globe and have been testament to the calibre and integrity of the man and what he stood for,” he continued.

“Prince Philip was most certainly a one-off, the likes of which we will never see again. My father described the Prince as the perfect gentleman.

“His sad passing does indeed mark the end of a era; Prince Philip was truly unique and I know that from talking to my dad that he enjoyed his visits to Northern Ireland. The Prince will be missed most by his family, but he has left an indelible mark and the success of his Duke of Edinburgh award scheme is unparalleled.”

Terry said the torch for environmental issue which was taken up Sir David Attenborough so many years ago was one once carried by Prince Philip whose care for the such an important issue has been passed to his eldest son Prince Charles.

He added: “Prince Philip has left his mark on this world and there are many people from Northern Ireland who have met him over the years. 

“They recall a man with an infectious sense of duty and one who could also be humorous at times, using this aspect of his character to put others at ease. He will be very sadly missed, not just by his family, but many others.”