Young Britons Ambivalent On Prince Philip And 'weird' Royals

Queen Elizabeth II's late husband Prince Philip divided opinion among young British people, who are less likely to take a positive view of his legacy and the monarchy in general

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2021 ) :Queen Elizabeth II's late husband Prince Philip divided opinion among young British people, who are less likely to take a positive view of his legacy and the monarchy in general.

"You could call him Marmite," said 22-year-old James Casey, referring to the sticky, brown, yeast-based food spread known for its "love it or hate it" flavour in Britain.

"Some people loved him, some people didn't like him whatsoever," he told AFP.

Megan Stevens, a 22-year-old student, said she "felt sad" and "quite shocked" by Philip's death last Friday aged 99.

For her, the Duke of Edinburgh, as he was also known, was a "figure that you learned about when you grew up in school".

Philip would have turned 100 in June. He was married to the Queen for 73 years and was an almost constant presence at her side since she began her record-breaking reign in 1952.

"He was a familiar figure for young people.

A real landmark figure is leaving," said Isabelle Riviere, a French royal expert.

She attributed his particular interest in young people to his own "difficult childhood", as an exiled Greek-born prince who spent much of his childhood shuttling around Europe.

"Having followed him a lot on his travels, what struck me was the attention he gave to young people, the crazy amount of time he spent with them," said Riviere.

His Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme is a popular international programme that recognises young people's achievements in areas such as orienteering, volunteering and sports.

Some 6.7 million young people in the UK have taken part since it was launched in 1956.

Several messages left outside Windsor Castle, where Philip's funeral takes place on Saturday, hailed the scheme's impact.

Penny Junor, a royal expert, said the scheme meant there had been an "amazing response from the young to his death".