Prince Charles: My Dear Papa was a Very Special Person

Prince Charles yesterday paid tribute to his “dear Papa” the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time since his death on Friday.
Speaking from outside his country home Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, Prince Philip’s eldest child said his father was a “much-loved and appreciated figure”.

“My father for I suppose, the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the Queen, to my family, and to the country and also to the whole of the Commonwealth,” said Charles.

“And as you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously – he was a much-loved and appreciated figure, and apart from anything else, I can imagine he’d be so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world in the Commonwealth who also, I think, share our loss and our sorrow.
“And my dear Papa was a very special person who I think, above all else, would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that are being said about him.

What will Happen to Sporting Fixtures Next Saturday?

Sporting bodies will now face a decision whether to allow games and matches to still be played next Saturday – the same day as the duke’s funeral.
It is a busy weekend of sport next week, with the FA Cup semi-finals, a full raft of football league fixtures, Women’s Six Nations and the opening of the World Snooker Championships all among the events taking place.

As part of the funeral, a one minute silence will be held at 3pm, as the proceedings in Windsor get underway.
The Football League has already announced that matches scheduled to begin at 3pm will be rearranged.

An EFL spokesperson said: “As a mark of respect, EFL matches scheduled for 3pm on Saturday 17 April will be moved to avoid a clash with the funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
“The EFL will now work with its clubs to determine at what time the matches will be played, giving consideration to the timing of the service.

“An announcement will follow in due course.”
Other sporting bodies are awaiting further guidance before moving fixtures, but the decision ultimately rests with organisers of the competitions, as per government advice.