Prince Philip was master of the barbecue, says Harry

The Duke of Edinburgh has been lauded with a panoply of epithets as people queue to sing his praises.

Prince Harry in London in 2019. Picture: AFP

The Duke of Edinburgh has been lauded with a panoply of epithets as people queue to sing his praises.

In a tribute that came straight from the heart, Prince Harry added one more that even his grandfather might never have heard: “Legend of banter.”

As Harry and his brother, William, became the latest members of the royal family to issue statements praising Prince Philip, they hailed him for everything from his service to the Queen to his ­humour and kindness.

While William spoke of service and underlined the importance of royal duty Harry emphasised Philip’s charm, his wit and his mastery of the barbecue. Harry’s statement also ended with four words that hinted of his own sense of loss at relinquishing his military titles this year: “Per Mare, Per Terram” or “by sea, by land”, the motto of the Royal Marines.

It was a reference to Philip’s role as captain general of the Royal Marines, a position he ­occupied for 64 years. After he stepped down, Harry succeeded his grandfather in the role, only to be obliged to stand down after the Queen insisted he should lose his royal patronages and honorary military positions as part of his decision to step back from royal duties.

Harry’s statement, released through his non-profit organisation Archewell, said: “He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the monarch, a decorated serviceman, a prince and a duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ’til the end.”

William wrote: “My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation … I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.” The last sentence was interpreted by some commentators as being directed at Harry and a reference to the Sussexes’ decision to step back from their roles as senior royals.

Harry had accused his brother during the Oprah Winfrey interview of being “trapped” in his role.

Harry and William are expected to join their father, the Prince of Wales, and other senior royals in walking behind their grandfather’s coffin at Windsor Castle on Saturday. They have not seen each other in person since their chilly encounter at the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey more than a year ago.

Kensington Palace tweeted William’s statement with a photograph taken in 2015 of a two-year-old George sitting by his great-grandfather’s side on the box seat of a carriage, holding a book as the duke holds the reins and a whip.

Writer Gyles Brandreth has claimed that Philip thought Harry and Meghan’s decision to give an interview to Oprah Winfrey last month was madness. Brandreth, whose book Philip: the Final Portrait, will be published this month, said the duke was concerned about the couple’s willingness to talk about themselves.

He wrote in the Daily Mail: “I know from someone close to him that he thought that Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey was ‘madness’ and ‘no good would come of it’.”

Brandreth also claimed that the Duke of Edinburgh thought his grandson’s decision to step back from being a senior royal had not been “the right thing” to do for the country or themselves.

Brandreth said that the duke understood Harry’s mistrust of the media and added: “Ultimately, Philip loved Harry, admired him for his service career and thought him a good man.”

Harry is said to have landed in Britain at Sunday after taking a scheduled flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow. He will be staying at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

The Times