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GALLERY: Memorable moments from Prince Philip's visits to Jersey

GALLERY: Memorable moments from Prince Philip's visits to Jersey

Sunday 11 April 2021

GALLERY: Memorable moments from Prince Philip's visits to Jersey

Sunday 11 April 2021


Whether meeting Jersey cows, sitting in the States Chamber or joining Liberation Day celebrations… Prince Philip never ceased to draw a crowd when he visited Jersey with the Queen.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away aged 99 on Friday, was the longest-serving Royal consort in British history, having married Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

He retired from public duties aged 97 in 2017, having given more than 5,000 speeches and attended more than 22,000 solo engagements - including visits to Jersey.

Alongside the Queen, the Duke visited the island seven times between 1949 and 2005.

Philip_in_the_Assembly.jpg

Pictured: Prince Philip and the Queen visiting the island in 1978. (Jersey Archive)

Among their most recent was a visit in 2001, when the Queen formally opened the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society as patron.

Becky Houzé of Lodge Farm - a dairy farm on the island - shared an image of her meeting the Duke as a child in tribute to the royal.

Then in 2005, the pair was welcomed by crowds of islanders young and old once more, as Jersey celebrated 60 years since being liberated from Occupation.

Lt Col Charles Woodrow was aide-de-camp to the Lieutenant-Governor during two visits of the Queen and Prince Philip.

Recalling the occasions when he had met the Duke, Col Woodrow said: “He was colonel of my regiment, the Grenadier Guards, when I was Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion in 1986.

“He came to visit us before our two-year deployment to Ulster and while we were out there too.

“He was fantastic: very knowledgeable and he asked very good questions. I was extremely proud to be Commanding Officer and to show him around.”

Recounting the Royal Visits, Col Woodrow said: “You had to be on the ball with him, and like his daughter the Princess Royal, you had to have your finger on the pulse."

He added that the Duke occasionally "came out with some fairly outrageous comments, but that was all part of his charm."

Col Woodrow continued: “I don’t recall him directly commenting on Jersey when he was here, but I do remember his chauffeur, who came from the Palace, saying that the Queen and Prince Philip had commented that the island was a most wonderful place to visit, and its people were charming and friendly.”

During his many years of public service, the Duke also visited Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.

On a visit to the latter, Prince Philip reportedly showed his signature wit.

Having arrived in Sark, he was taken up the steep hill from the Creux Harbour in a horse-drawn carriage.

Philip_Cow.jpg

Pictured: The Duke of Edinburgh meets one of Jersey's finest exports. (Jersey Archive)

Slightly struggling with its load, the beast apparently passed wind loudly. The embarrassed driver apologised for the noise, to which the Prince is said to have remarked: “Don’t worry, I thought it was the horse.”

Many snapshots of those royal visits to Jersey are among the records carefully stored in the temperature-controlled strong rooms of Jersey Archive, which you can search here.

Express has delved into those records, and highlighted a selection of memorable moments from two visits in 1978 and 1957…

GALLERY: The royal visits...

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