prince philip and the overseas territories: a 68 year story

By Craig Brewin, craig.brewin@fotbot.org

The Overseas Territories are commemorating HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s life of service in many ways. Statements have been made by Governors and Premiers, and condolences have been sent to the Royal Family and the Queen. Periods of mourning have been announced and one of the Chief Ministers, Fabian Picardo, spoke on the BBC News Channel to emphasise how important Prince Philip has been to Gibraltar and the Overseas Territories as a whole.

The Duke’s death marks the end of the historic partnership at the heart of the British establishment. He was a known public face for the UK throughout most of his life, and visited all of its current populated Overseas Territories, along with the British Antarctic Territory. His first visit was to Bermuda in 1953, and his most well-known trips were those of 1966 and 1957. In 1966 he visited the Caribbean with the Queen, including the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Montserrat. The Queen and HRH visited the BVI again in 1977.

In 1957 he visited, without the Queen: Gough Island, Ascension Island, the Falkland Islands, the British Antarctic Territory, Tristan da Cunha, and St Helena. He visited the Falklands again in 1991 and Montserrat in 1992. He visited Pitcairn Island, with Lord Mountbatten, in 1971.

Along with the Queen he has made many visits to Gibraltar and Bermuda. He visited the Cayman Islands three times: Traveling without the Queen in 1992, and with her in 1983 and 1994. It was on his 1994 trip where he nearly caused one of his minor diplomatic incidents when he was alleged to have asked, on a visit to the National Museum: “Aren’t most of you descended from pirates?” British Diplomacy will never be the same again. Here is the Duke of Edinburgh on his trips to the British Overseas Territories:

FOTBOT joins the nation and the Commonwealth in mourning the loss of His Royal Highness. May he rest in peace.