Although it's a time of great
and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This
, especially, I understand why.
But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved
, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work from around the country, the
and the world. His sense of
, intellectual
and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring
was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.
But life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first
; and as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy
.
We felt his
as we, like millions around the world, readied ourselves for Christmas. While COVID again means we can't celebrate quite as we may have wished, we can still enjoy the many happy
. Be it the singing of carols (as long as the tune is well known); decorating the tree; giving and receiving presents; or watching a favourite film where we already know the ending, it's no surprise that families so often treasure their Christmas
. We see our own children and their families embrace the roles, traditions, and values that mean so much to us, as these are passed from one
to the next, sometimes being updated for changing times. I see it in my own
and it is a source of great
.
Prince Philip was always mindful of this sense of passing the baton. That's why he created The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which offers young people throughout the Commonwealth and beyond the chance of exploration and
. It remains an astonishing success, grounded in his
in the future.
He was also an early champion of taking seriously our stewardship of the
; and I am proud beyond words that his pioneering work has been taken on and magnified by our eldest son
and his eldest son
-- admirably supported by Camilla and Catherine -- most recently at the COP climate change summit in Glasgow.
