Prince Philip: The North West remembers the Duke of Edinburgh

  • Report by Granada Reports journalist Andrew Fletcher


Tributes have continued to pour out across the North West for the Duke of Edinburgh who has died at the age of 99.

Bells tolled in churches for His Royal Highness, whose life of service left its mark on organisations and people across the region.

St George's Parish Church, in Douglas on the Isle of Man, was one of many who tolled the tenor bell 99 times as a mark of respect.

At Aintree, on one of horse racing's biggest days, jockeys and trainers observed a two minutes' silence in memory of one of the sport's biggest supporters.

Jockeys and trainers took part in a two minutes' silence ahead of the Grand National. Credit: ITV Sport

Prince Phillip's love of equestrian sports was matched by his passion for education .

When Salford technical institute became a university in 1967, the Duke of Edinburgh was its first chancellor. Andrew Snowden, from the University, said: "He once said universities aren't brain boxes they shouldn't be conveyer belts of PhDs, they are a means to an end.

"What he meant by that was that universities like Salford, which he was so proud to be Chancellor of, are a way of people bettering their lives, of getting new opportunities, and of chasing careers that they otherwise might not have been able to have, and I think he absolutely loved being part of that."

Salford University has a lasting tribute to its first Chancellor, Prince Philip.

Not all of the Princes patronages in the North West were high profile, he was patron of the West Kirby Yacht group - and Accrington Camera Club.

Harry Emmett "When he retired officially from public life, he said he was going to relinquish a lot of his patronage and sponsorship of various organisations, but he did not include Accrington Camera Club so he still kept it - which is why even today that his membership is on the Royal website.

"We're feeling rather proud of our association and the membership that he evidently had a great deal of thought and pleasure from."

People who never met the Prince also paid tribute to him in Liverpool.