Delivering sermons to a congregation that included Prince Philip had been an honour, the minister at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh said, but was also often “challenging”.
The Rev Neil Gardner told worshippers that it had been a “duty and privilege” to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip to the kirk on several occasions.
“He would sit in the royal pew with his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the pulpit, listening intently on what was being said and considering it carefully,” he said. “I always wondered whether I might be interrogated afterwards.”
He added that “he was undoubtedly a man of faith, but it was by no means an unquestioning one.”
The Rev Kenneth MacKenzie was joined by a 30 worshippers at Crathie Kirk in Aberdeenshire, where the Queen and Prince Philip worshipped when they were at Balmoral.
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The Very Rev Professor David Fergusson, Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland and Dean of the Order of the Thistle, said that the Duke’s ties to Scotland “were no small part of his life” and he “truly loved” the Highlands.
“He was a remarkable man who played a hugely significant role in supporting Her Majesty to fulfil the obligations and duties of the monarch; prayers will be said throughout the Church of Scotland for Her Majesty and for all of the close family and friends for whom his loss will be deeply felt at this time,” he said.
“Prince Philip’s ties to Scotland were no small part of his life. Part of his education was spent at Gordonstoun School. In 1956 he gave his name to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme which has enhanced the life and experience of countless young people over more than 60 years. As chancellor of the University of Edinburgh from 1953 to 2011, he took a lively interest in its work, becoming a regular visitor to its several campuses, including New College, the home of the school of divinity, and providing vital support for new initiatives.
“He truly loved the Scottish Highlands and shared with Her Majesty a passion for Balmoral together with a concern for its parish community. The royal couple were generous hosts to a succession of Church of Scotland ministers who were weekend house guests and visiting preachers at Crathie Kirk.
“Over the years he must have heard hundreds of sermons delivered by ministers and moderators; he listened keenly and many will remember their theme being picked over at the lunch table or in a late-night conversation where the meaning of life and the state of the world were widely reviewed.
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“No one who enjoyed Prince Philip’s company could deny that they were in the presence of a keen and agile mind, but they also knew how much he was able to subdue his natural gifts in order to play his part as ‘liege man of life and limb’. These may be old-fashioned terms, but they describe the loyalty of one who played a significant part in holding the monarchy together through years of significant and even turbulent change.
“While we in the Church of Scotland acknowledge the contribution that Prince Philip has made to the fabric of our public life we know, however, that he will particularly be mourned as a husband, a father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather.”
