Last month in the House of Commons I paid my condolences to Her Majesty and other members of the Royal Family, and joined other MPs in paying tribute to HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

For anyone under 75, Prince Philip as a key leader in our national life is all we have ever known. So his death marked the end of an era, and has left Her Majesty with an inevitable void, as he has been her rock of support throughout her remarkable reign.

The Duke of Edinburgh arrived on our shores as a young boy, lacking immediate family, having been educated initially in France in an American school, before going to Gordonstoun in Scotland. These experiences clearly forged his determination to help other young people to develop the confidence to shape their own futures, as he did as a young man.  He did this through establishing the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, from which many young Salopians have benefitted and continue to do so.

His wartime experience (where he was mentioned in dispatches for his service with the Royal Navy) and distinguished military service gave him and others of his generation an abiding sense of duty. It also instilled the importance of remembrance of those who had served their country and paid the ultimate sacrifice.

As a Commonwealth War Graves Commissioner, I know the many memorials and dedications he attended were deeply appreciated by the Armed Forces community. Perhaps most telling was one of the earliest, when unveiling the Second World War extension to the Chatham Naval Memorial in October 1952, where he pointed out that like all others who served in the Royal Navy during the war, he had lost many friends and shipmates commemorated there. He could speak to and for veterans in a way that only someone who has served can do.

Prince Philip was always interested in conservation, but his visits to the southern oceans in 1956 sparked his concern about threats to nature, which made him a pioneer of preserving the environment. He was instrumental in establishing the World Wildlife Fund, and his enthusiasm never waned. He visited hundreds of WWF projects across five continents, over five decades. But he also used his position to promote conservation issues, inspiring people, from members of the public to world leaders, to protect nature and wildlife. This passion has been clearly been passed on to his children and his grandchildren. It will be an enduring part of his legacy.

Many in Shropshire will have fond memories of seeing the Duke of Edinburgh in 2012 as part of the Diamond Jubilee Tour, when he accompanied Her Majesty attending a pageant at RAF Cosford.

He also visited South Shropshire in 2003, with Her Majesty attending the Wenlock Olympian Games, and choosing perhaps provocatively to have lunch in the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms, in preference to Ludlow, the more obvious food capital of Shropshire, where they concluded their visit.

I am sure we will remember the life of Prince Philip for his dedication to our country and our Queen, and for the wit and candour he brought to his role, challenging all who met him to strive to do better in helping others.