Like father, like son: The Duke of Edinburgh visits St Helena Castle, more than sixty years after Prince Philip passed under the same arch
- The Royal Prince visits the subtropical British Overseas Territory of St Helena for the first time as part of an overseas tour
A poignant photo shows Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, recreating the same photo in which his father, the late Prince Phillip, was photographed after more than 60 years.
The Royal Prince is visiting the subtropical British Overseas Territory of St Helena for the first time as part of an overseas tour.
The Duke has already paid tribute to his mother's historic visit in 1947, after he met the same tortoise named Jonathan, who met his late mother when the animal was 115 years old – now he is a remarkable 192 years old.
Prince Edward is the first member of the royal family to visit St Helena since Princess Anne traveled there in 2002.
Now Edward has mirrored the past by being pictured walking through the same archway to St John's Castle, Jamestown, that his father made during a tour in 1957 – ten years after the late Queen visited the island.
Edward has mirrored the past by being depicted walking through the same arch as his father
The late Prince Phillip was photographed walking through the exact same arch in 1957
The photo was shared on social media via X by the Governor of St Helena, Air Commodore Nigel James Phillips.
The photo shows a side-by-side comparison of the two photos taken of the father and son more than 60 years apart.
Both photos show the royal family, both accompanied by another on their left, walking through the white arch with cannons on either side.
The arch also features the coat of arms of the East India Company, which is represented by three lions next to and above the St. George's cross. It also spells “the Latin Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angliae,” which translates in English to “Under the auspices of the King and Parliament of England.”
The Governor wrote: “We were honored to host the Duke of Edinburgh in St Helena this week. The Duke celebrated the very best of our culture and community.
'I am grateful to everyone who made this possible. [Images below are from 1957 when the late Price Philip visited St Helena].'
The most striking difference, however, is both the royal attire of the current Duke of Edinburgh and that of his late father, who wears a white military uniform.
A public holiday has been announced on the island on Wednesday to celebrate the visit of the duke, who is 14th in line to the throne.
In St Helena, Prince Edward will meet community leaders and celebrate the island's culture, people and biodiversity.
The 59-year-old Royal also became the first royal to arrive on the island by plane, as the airport only opened in 2017.
Governor Nigel Phillips said: 'This promises to be a special occasion, with a public holiday that allows the whole community to take this opportunity to celebrate all that is great about the culture and environment of this remarkable island.'
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh receives a gift from a traditional healer during a tour of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden in Pretoria, South Africa
A trip to St Helena follows a visit to South Africa, where Prince Edward may have just put into words what many women are thinking right now.
Seemingly referring to global crises including the invasion of Ukraine and the Israeli-Hamas war, the king's brother expressed the view that “men may not be doing so well right now.”
At just 47 square kilometers, St Helena is a third the size of the Isle of Wight, and about the same size as Disney World Orlando. The nearest landmass is Ascension Island, which lies 800 miles to the northwest.
This island of around 4,203 inhabitants remains Britain's oldest overseas territory after Bermuda.
Saint Helena is also known as the place of Napoleon's second exile, after his final defeat in 1815.