The Duchess of Edinburgh has made a sweet comparison between her husband and her late father in law in a moving speech to mark the 60th birthday of Prince Edward.

As she began a heartfelt tribute to her husband, Sophie told the audience he would be ”horrified” that she was speaking about him so openly and would no doubt watch her address ”looking identical to his father when I made speeches about him.”

The Duchess said that she had spoken publicly twice about Prince Philip in his presence and, both times, she felt ”like I was about to launch myself out of an airplane without a parachute, but holding on to the vague hope of a soft landing.”

Sophie added ”you have to appreciate that my father in law never liked anyone to pay him compliments, believing it was the organisations he supported that were important, not him.”

And she said that Prince Edward ”never seeks compliments for himself….when acknowledgment has come his way, it has always been a total surprise to him…”

The Duchess of Edinburgh went on to pay tribute to Prince Edward’s own approach to his royal work, noting that ”like an iceberg, what is seen above the water or in public is only a small proportion of what goes on behind the scenes. What is never seen…is the effort spent on ensuring good governance for his patronages, encouraging people to support worthwhile causes, chairing committees, meeting chief executives and think tanks…the list goes on.

Sophie made her speech as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were at Headingley Stadium in Leeds for the Community Sport and Recreation Awards.

Prince Edward turns 60 on March 10th 2024.