Preston MP Mark Hendrick remembers Prince Philip as 'a comical man with a great sense of humour'

He has met Prince Philip on two occasions since being first elected as the Labour Member of Parliament for Preston in 2000.

And today Sir Mark Hendrick has spoken to the Post of his fond memories of the Duke of Edinburgh following his death this morning, April 9.

Sir Mark said: "I have some very fond memories of Prince Philip. The news of his death is very sad, and I am particularly feeling sadness for Her Majesty the Queen today. Philip was her consort for many decades and has been by her side through her reign, so this must be a tremendous blow to her and the family.

"Prince Philip had a great sense of humour and always liked to wind people up, but had good intentions and was very tongue and cheek. I first met him in 2002 when he visited Preston alongside the Queen when it was awarded city status.

"He asked me what I did for a living before I became an MP, I told him that I worked in digital engineering before he told me that I had never had a proper job, which made me chuckle.

"The second time I met him was when I was invited alongside other MP colleagues for drinks at Buckingham Palace. He was quite a controversial man at times and always caught people's eye but was very pleasant with a good sense of humour.

"This will be an unusual time for many in this country now because all they will have ever known is the Queen and Prince Philip during their lifetime. Now he has sadly passed away, people will be concerned about the Queen and what the future holds for the Royal Family. It raises questions about what will happen in the constitution going forward."