Prince Philip: NI Assembly pays tribute to Duke of Edinburgh - BBC News
Assembly members express their condolences to the Royal Family in a special sitting at Stormont.
The Duke of Edinburgh on a visit to Harland and Wolff in July 1977

Tributes have been paid to Prince Philip during a special sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assembly members met at midday and put on record their condolences to the Royal Family.

The union flag is flying at half mast from Parliament Buildings until the end of this week.

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, died on Friday, aged 99, and his funeral will take place on Saturday.

Speaker Alex Maskey, of Sinn Féin, opened tributes by saying Prince Philip had a record of public service to which few could compare.

He also paid tribute to him for establishing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

"His priority was on opening the door for young people to participate, whatever their background," he said.

He also paid tribute to the "reconciliation efforts" over the years.

First Minister Arlene Foster said Prince Philip's service had been carried out with "dedication, humanity and humour".

"A sometimes blunt humour, which we got to appreciate here, on his many occasions when he visited Northern Ireland," she said.

A gun salute took place at Hillsborough Castle in County Down marking Prince Philip's death

Mrs Foster said he "redefined the role of a royal" and his work with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was "literally decades ahead of its time".

She said more than two million people had secured a Duke of Edinburgh Award, and more people from Northern Ireland had participated in the scheme than any other part of the UK.

"A true intergenerational legacy to our youth, our United Kingdom and the world's environment," Mrs Foster said.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said there had been "significant interventions" over the past two decades by the Royal Family to assist in the building of relationships between Britain and Ireland.

"I acknowledge that the Queen and Prince Philip and their family were directly impacted by the conflict and regrettably endured sorrow and pain as a result of their personal loss and their bereavement," she said.

Michelle O'Neill acknowledges the impact of Northern Ireland's conflict on the Royal Family

"Yet having endured such personal loss, the Royal Family set about working towards advancing peace and reconciliation."

The IRA murdered the Queen's cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, in the Republic of Ireland in 1979.

Infrastructure Minister and SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said the prince had a part to play in "sustaining the new bond of shared endeavour across these islands".

"We should also reflect on the role that he played alongside Queen Elizabeth in building relationships, setting aside enmity and promoting reconciliation, most visibly during their recent visit to Ireland," she said.

The Queen and Prince Philip met Martin McGuinness, the then deputy first minister, in Belfast in 2012

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Steve Aiken said Prince Philip had "garnered so much respect and affection" and he "was a great friend to Northern Ireland" who was "greatly saddened by the horrors of the Troubles".

He also paid tribute to Ms O'Neill and the SDLP for their remarks regarding the duke's death.

"While we may disagree on much, those are welcome sentiments," he said.

"I appreciate your sympathy and reaching out to those of us who hold the union and monarchy dear."

Justice Minister and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said Prince Philip demonstrated what it "means to be a supportive husband to a powerful woman".

"He was a reformer and moderniser of the Royal Household as he encouraged more informality and less protocol and engagements, and also promoted the use of new technology, particularly television," she said.

"His work spanned his patronage of many charities at home and abroad."

The Green Party's Rachael Woods said he would be dearly missed by his grandchildren.

"The duke's passing reminds us to appreciate and treasure our grandparents and families when we can."

Prince Philip at Hillsborough Castle during his last official visit to Northern Ireland in 2017

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister said there would now be "difficult, tough days for the Queen".

"I do pray that she finds the strength to carry on in the remarkable era that has been her rule over us," he said.

The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest-serving royal consort in British history.

On Saturday, a 41-gun salute echoed across County Down from Hillsborough Castle, the Queen's official residence in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, political parties suspended their campaigning on Friday for the Scottish Parliament election following the announcement of Prince Philip's death.

The main political parties in Wales also said they would suspend campaigning for the 6 May Senedd election.

Tributes to the duke are to be paid in the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments on Monday.

The House of Commons, which was supposed to be on its Easter break until Tuesday, is being recalled a day early, with MPs giving their tributes to the duke from 14:30 BST.

A period of national mourning will end after 17 April, when Prince Philip's funeral will take place at St George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

A national minute's silence will be held to coincide with the start of the funeral at 15:00 BST.