Message of Thanksgiving and Prayer on the news of the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip
I express with you my sadness at the death of Prince Philip. We give thanks to God for his life and service. Our hearts and our prayers reach out in sympathy for Her Majesty the Queen in her profound loss after 73 years of loving marriage and shared duty. We pray also for Prince Philip’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
We thank God for the Prince’s deep sense of duty in his support of the Queen and the service of his country. We remember his keen intelligence and wit, his promotion of the initiative and growth of young people through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, his promotion of new technology and scientific research and his patronage of hundreds of good causes. We also remember his fine record as a serving naval officer and his sporting gifts and passions. We are thankful for his Christian faith and his commitment to clergy support and development through St George’s House at Windsor.
Most of all, we praise God for the example of a person dedicated to his family and its wellbeing over more than seventy years with the joys and the sacrifices which come with such a commitment.
More details will emerge in the coming days about the Duke’s funeral. There are appropriate worship resources, including a homily from me, being published on the diocesan website for use this Sunday and beyond. You should also refer to the Church of England website (https://www.churchofengland.org/) where all guidance will be published. We already are aware that books of condolence are not being allowed by HMG.
We thank God that Prince Philip now enjoys the fullness of the resurrection life. We pray for Her Majesty that she will know all the consolations of her own deep faith in this time of mourning. God save the Queen!
Yours ever in Christ,
+Stephen
Note: An image of Bishop Stephen to accompany this message can be downloaded here.