Prince Philip: He was a 'wonderful' man, says photographer

Loris Goring said he though Prince Philip (centre) had a "jolly hard" trip to Singapore

A photographer who covered a trip to Singapore by Prince Philip in the 1950s has described him as a "wonderful, wonderful" man.

Loris Goring, from Brixham, Devon, was an RAF teacher when he met the Duke of Edinburgh during his four-day visit in 1959.

The amateur photographer was commissioned by a London agency to photograph the prince.

He described the duke as having an "easy" approach to everyone.

Mr Goring, originally from Manchester, had moved to Singapore to teach at RAF Tengah when he got a telegram from Fleet Street photography agent Paul Popper requesting he photograph the duke on his first visit abroad without HM The Queen.

Prince Philip's four-day visit to Singapore in 1959 was his first such engagement without the Queen

He said: "He was very busy, talking to everybody, a wonderful, wonderful man who had the discipline that the Royal Navy had imposed on him.

"Now he was self-disciplined, driving himself all over the place to talk to people."

Despite being "absolutely crammed with work" himself during the visit, Mr Goring took on the assignment for Popper.

Mr Goring, who later went on to become an art teacher at Brixham Secondary School, recollected the moment Prince Philip briefly spoke to him during the Governor's Garden Party - the final event of his trip - asking who his employer was.

"I said: 'Paul Popper of Fleet Street,' and he said: 'Oh, Popper. He wants some proper photographs then.'"

Mr Goring said the duke had "an easy approach to everybody and made them feel comfortable"

He said he thought the trip was "jolly hard" for the duke as it had a packed schedule.

He said: "I appreciate what royalty do.

"Everyone was very happy with him. He had an easy approach to everybody and made them feel comfortable and so it just felt as if we could get on with them."

The funeral of Prince Philip, who died on 9 April, aged 99, is due to be held on Saturday.

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