Bristolians pay tribute to Prince Philip

Statements have been pouring in from across the city

Bristolians have been paying tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh following his death at 99
Author: James DiamondPublished 9th Apr 2021

Tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh have been pouring in from across Bristol and the South West after Buckingham Palace announced his death today.

In a statement The Royal Family said it is "with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."

It went on to say he passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle: He was 99.

As a result flags across the city are now flying at half mast including above City Hall and at Avon and Somerset Police headquarters, while many of Bristol's most well known institutions and individuals have been sharing tributes online.

The Queen's representative in Bristol, Lord Lieutenant Peaches Golding says his "lifelong service" and "steadfast support to the Queen and Royal Family" made him a national figure.

"I join with all across the city in passing on my condolences to the Queen and Royal Family during this very difficult time," she says.

I wish them the time and the peace needed to grieve and reflect upon the life of the Duke of Edinburgh.”

Avon and Somerset Police have also paid tribute, with outgoing Chief Constable Andy Marsh offering their "sincere condolences" to the Queen.

“We join with the nation in mourning this sad news," he says.

Bosses at Bristol Airport say they are saddened to hear of his death, while many from the sporting sector have also being paying their respects.

Bristol City Football Club say the same as do Bristol City Women and rivals Bristol Rovers.

Meanwhile Bristol born Olympic medalist Emily Diamond has paid tribute to the Duke on her Instagram.

In 2012 the Duke paid a visit to the Bristol Old Vic alongside the Queen to mark the theatre's refurbishment.

We've spoken to the theatre's Artistic Director Tom Morris to hear his memories from that day.

"It's very sad news," he said.

"Of course for them this was a state visit. The thing that struck me was both of them were incredibly curious about the theatre's history, the work we'd done refurbishing it, and if you imagine doing that public role the way they do it, the temptation to get a bit jaded about it must be overwhelming, but they weren't at all.

"They were really curious to hear about the theatre's history, curious to hear the stories of what sort of place it was when it was built and actually to watch a technical rehearsal.

"I remember the Duke of Edinburgh watching a technical rehearsal for a production of Peter Pan that we were working on at the time, and seeing Tinker Bell being represented by a kind of torch, moving spotlight and then turning into an actor playing Tinker Bell, and taking great delight in seeing that and decoding it.

"So my memory is actually of a surprising openness, curiosity and sense of fun which isn't really the impression you get I guess from the public image of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The SS Great Britain has shared a photo of the Duke on the ship. He was their first Patron and was on board when the ship was brought back to the harbourside in 1970.

In a tweet the museum says his support for the SS Great Britain since has been "tremendous".

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