Sunday Choral Eucharist Service

It is a great honour, as the 26^th Governor of Queensland – and the tenth of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second’s long and glorious reign – to address the congregation today.

I thank our Dean for organising the fitting memorial elements of today’s Service for His Royal Highness.

I further thank His Grace for extending to me the invitation to speak – he did this on Wednesday when he came to Fernberg to sign a condolence message to the Royal Family.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was a frequent and much-admired visitor to Queensland – indeed, he had a special connection to this very Cathedral and congregation, having attended Service on at least two occasions.

The last was in 2002, when Archbishop Aspinall greeted Her Majesty and Prince Philip for an early Sunday Evensong.

The Duke read the First Lesson, and afterwards Her Majesty unveiled a plaque dedicating the Millennium Window.

The brilliance of that Window reminds us all of the defining divine mission: to bring others into the light, and out of the darkness. 

This Prince Philip achieved with a natural abundance of warmth, kindness and good humour.

His deep interest in the wellbeing of our Queensland people was evident to Kaye and me through our interactions with him.   

Our State will long bear his imprint, through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and other Patronage links, and through our people, who I know will continue to look to him as a shining example of unshakably loyal support and selfless devotion to duty. 

Prince Philip was a contributor of the highest order: as a distinguished serviceman, as the longest-serving consort of any Queensland Head of State, and in supporting The Queen as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

He will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.