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![]() Wednesday, November 19, 1997 Published at 20:27 GMT ![]() ![]() ![]() UK ![]() Prince Philip pays tribute to his children The Duke of Edinburgh addresses guests at the Guildhall, London
The Duke of Edinburgh has used a gala lunch celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary to pay tribute to his children.
At a banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor of London, Prince Philip said that they had all done rather well under very difficult and demanding circumstances.
The Duke also praised the Queen for her abundance of tolerance within the partnership of marriage.
"I am also encouraged to see what a good start the next generation is
making," the Duke, who is 76, said in tribute to the royal couple's grandchildren.
The Duke said that time had seemed to fly by during the royal couple's half-century
of marriage because "we have been fairly busy over the last 50 years".
With the Queen sitting at his side, Prince Philip reflected on the couple's "partnership in marriage" through good times and bad.
The Duke then recalled the early years of marriage and the dramatic changes to their lives when Princess Elizabeth was made Queen on the death of her father in 1952. But this, said the Duke, had less effect on married life than he had anticipated.
He also spoke of the difficulties of public life and the lack of privacy endured by the royals. But he conceded that those born into the monarchy "have to learn to accept certain constraints and to accommodate to that grey area of existence between official and what is left of private life."
However, he said, his position also presented opportunities for serving the nation.
The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, and the Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook,
represented the Government.
The 97-year-old Queen Mother, Princess Royal and her husband Captain Timothy
Lawrence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent were also
among the guests.
Mr Prescott sat next to the Queen Mother on the top table and the two chatted
animatedly during the lunch of baby lobster, Norfolk duckling, and bread and
butter pudding with custard.
The so-called 'People's Banquet' will be attended by people from all walks of life.
Seated beside the Queen at the top table - alongside the Prime Minister - will be Helen James, 24, from Anglesey, a guide leader for five years and a member of the Guide Association's Junior Council.
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