Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Australian Defence Force, I rise to extend our most profound sympathies to Her Majesty. With the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, we have lost a loyal and distinguished servant of our Westminster democracy and of our armed forces. We have lost a giant of our time.

At 18 months old, in December 1922, Philip was forced to flee his native Greece. Amid a military coup, his first naval voyage was to be an evacuation aboard the Royal Navy's HMS Calypso. The future royal consort spent the Adriatic crossing to Italy in a cot, fashioned, as the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, from an orange crate. The Prince's family found refuge in the western Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud. At a young age, parental circumstances saw Philip cross the Channel to live with family and attend school in Great Britain. It was here that this nomad found his home.

The Prince would go on to attend the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, graduating as best cadet. It was also at Dartmouth, in April 1939, that Philip would meet Elizabeth for the second time. They would soon enter into regular correspondence. The Nazi invasion of Poland took place less than six months later, and the world was plunged into devastating conflict. Philip joined the battleship HMS Ramillies in Ceylon—modern day Sri Lanka—in January 1940. It was aboard this vessel that Philip first visited Australia, taking part in the escort of ANZAC troop convoys to the Suez.

By March 1941 the 19-year-old Duke was serving on the Queen Elizabeth class battleship HMS Valiant in the Battle of Cape Matapan. The Greek prince, forced to flee Corfu on the corvette Calypso as an infant, had returned to Greece on a battleship to defend her. Philip's actions, directing a search light onto Italian cruisers which were subsequently destroyed, saw him mentioned in despatches and later awarded a Greek War Cross. The engagement was a major strategic victory for the Allies, including the Royal Australian Navy, which, as we know, served with distinction.

During the 1943 invasion of Sicily, Philip saved his ship, the destroyer HMS Wallace, from a likely lethal German aerial bombardment. Luftwaffe dive-bombers were undertaking a persistent night-time assault on the vessel when Philip seized the initiative. In the minutes the enemy aircraft was preparing to make another run over the Wallace, Philip set in motion an inspired diversion. He filled a wooden raft with rubbish and set it on fire. Smoke floats were attached to the end, and the raft was launched into the water. On its return, the German aircraft was deceived by the flames and the smoke, and the pilot mistakenly believed he had destroyed the British battleship on his previous attempt. Harry Hargreaves, who had also served on the Wallace, would later say, 'Prince Philip saved our lives that night.' Philip would take part in the Allied invasion of southern France, before joining the British Pacific Fleet. As First Lieutenant of the W-class destroyer HMS Whelp, the Prince would visit Sydney, Darwin and Melbourne. On 2 September 1945 he was present in Tokyo Bay, as the Japanese foreign minister signed the instrument of surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri.

With the war over, in 1947 the Prince married the love of his life, Elizabeth. Their first child, Charles, was born in 1948. One year later, Philip joined the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet at Malta, where he continued his promising naval career. The Duke was promoted to lieutenant commander and, in 1950, given his first command, the HMS Magpie. Fate then intervened. Philip's father-in-law's health began to dramatically decline, and, in 1951, he took indefinite leave from the Navy. Less than a year later, on 6 February 1952, King George VI passed in his sleep. Just as for Prince Albert, who was unexpectedly thrust onto the throne through the abdication crisis, the young couple found their lives jarringly changed forever. This ambitious and dynamic young naval officer would refocus his energy into a new form of service. He would support his Queen, whilst stridently carving out his own identity and role. He was a maverick and a moderniser, who led to navigate and ultimately strengthen an ancient and storied institution, and he did it his way.

Philip always proudly maintained his connection to the armed services and to Australia. On presenting a Queen's Colour to HMAS Cerberus during the 1954 royal visit, the Prince reflected: 'I had the good fortune to serve with Australian seamen on Australian ships in the last war in the Mediterranean and in the Pacific. I have a firsthand respect for their qualities. You have a splendid tradition to live up to, and I hope this Colour will always serve to remind you of the valour and achievements of the men of the Royal Australian Navy.' On 1 April 1954, Her Majesty appointed the Duke as Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Australian Navy, Field Marshal in the Australian Army and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force. Philip had a very special affinity with our Army cadets and the Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, serving as the Colonel in Chief of both.

Philip lived a truly remarkable life of service to the Commonwealth and to his Queen. As Elizabeth's strength and stay, he was the longest serving consort in history. He was Her Majesty's best friend, her closest confidante and her sounding board. From the good times to the horrible, Philip was always there, two steps behind. This House sends our deepest and most sincere condolences to Her Majesty. We stand with you, we grieve for you and we grieve with you.

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