Only last night, just before the news of his death emerged this morning, I told some students the story of my meeting with Prince Philip. I have a picture of him somewhere, taken a few minutes before my moment of royal greeting. It was a distant shot, taken with a cheap Vivitar on 35mm film; I’m not sure you could even tell it was he without my repeated assurances. But the memory is sharp and vivid, and I revisited it again upon reading of his death this morning.
In my memory, Prince Philip was wearing University of Edinburgh academic robes, but that memory is indistinct. Certainly he was there in his capacity as Chancellor of the University, a ceremonial function he fulfilled from 1953–2010 (in addition to being Duke of Edinburgh).