The Queen's Tribute To Prince Philip At The COP26 You Might Have Missed
On October 31, many of the world's leaders gathered in Glasgow, Scotland for the start of COP26 — aka the U.N. Climate Change Conference. The event began with a world leaders' convention, which is occurring on November 1 and 2 and has already seen many of the world's leaders speak out about climate change. Those include U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, per The New York Times. Prince Charles also gave a speech on November 1 as the senior member of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II canceled her trip to Glasgow on the advice of her doctors and due to the health concerns she is currently facing. Instead, she sent in a pre-recorded message to address the convention.
That message aired on November 1 as well, and in the speech, the queen commented on the chance the world has to create a "stabler future for our people and for the planet on which we depend." She also mentioned various world leaders coming together to face "the challenges ahead" and asked them to "rise above the politics of the moment" to take action instead of just speaking out with words. But she also had a personal note in her speech, mentioning the work of her late husband, Prince Philip. And she paid tribute to him with more than just her words.
Queen Elizabeth II had a photo of Prince Philip on her desk during her speech
While the majority of Queen Elizabeth II's pre-recorded COP26 message focused on the global environmental stakes and the actions world leaders need to take, there was also a bit of a personal touch to the video. During her speech, Elizabeth mentioned the work of her late husband, Prince Philip, who was a huge advocate for the environment throughout his life. "It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William. I could not be more proud of them," she said in her message. She also referenced Philip's 1969 academic address about our dire future. "I remember well, that in 1969, he told an academic gathering if the world pollution situation is not critical at the moment, it is certain as anything can be ..." that it will be "increasingly intolerable" soon.
The queen honored her late husband in a subtle way as well — with a framed photo on her desk. The image is a "private photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh," The Guardian reported, which showed him amongst a flock of monarch butterflies. The image was taken in 1988 in Mexico during the migration of the monarchs. It was touching, showcasing the importance of the environment to Philip and by extension, the monarchy.