The greatest achievement of Prince Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, is likely to reside at the intersection of ecology, biodiversity and inter-religious co-operation. Perhaps it was his peripatetic upbringing. Or the royal family’s vast land holdings. Or a combination of formative experiences and his adult interests.
Prince Philip, who died on Friday at the age of 99, has good claims to have raised the importance of defending the planet, paving the way for the campaigners who fight today so doughtily for change. As a countryman, the Duke of Edinburgh appreciated how good husbandry of animals was rewarded with healthy stock. As a member of the Royal Navy, he saw the world from surf to turf and how it was under threat.
Much has been made of his 73 years as consort to Queen Elizabeth II. Whatever his frustrations at not sharing the British throne as an equal with his wife, his life work has left a legacy that will endure after her reign and those of her immediate heirs.
It may be a paradox that in his time Prince Philip went big game hunting in a quest for tigers and elephants. But sporting pursuits and conservation are not a contradiction. A long life produces a balance of effects and his role should be recognised as pioneering.
If Greta Thunberg is honoured for raising the consciousness of the world to climate peril, Prince Philip did much the same thing half a century ago.
The long association of the Prince, who was born a junior member of the Greek and Danish royal families, with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) formed the primary platform for his concern for Planet Earth.
A major initiative of the WWF, pushed by Prince Philip as its international president, sought recognition that “through their philosophy, actions and influence, faiths can have a major impact on the way their followers view the protection of nature”. A major report in 2005 backed by Prince Philip, which involved the WWF and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, pointed out the spiritual importance of the fight to keep the earth in good health and how that is informed by religions.
A global summit that the royal helped organise in Italy in 1986 produced declarations from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim leaders. A global pilgrimage network was set up that includes sites in the Middle East.
Efforts such as those by the UAE to champion biodiversity initiatives now fit within a global umbrella of work to save and protect the species. The UN is an important convener and promoter of these efforts. Prince Philip helped drive that aspect of the UN's work with the secretary general as long ago as the 1980s.
Action to bring about change was something that Prince Philip liked to embody. He was an international role model in the way that few others had tried in the middle of the 20th century. Many have since developed or sought to develop this identity. Prince Philip’s impact was ahead of his time.
The Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme for school pupils has programmes in more than 120 countries. Research shows its strong impact on individual lives, social cohesion, lower crime rates and environmental awareness is shared by millions every year.
As Barack Obama noted in his tribute to Prince Philip on Friday, his time in spotlight saw radio succeeded by television and the internet.
Prince Philip was something unusual among the British royals. The instinctively curious modernist wanted to be involved with the new technologies as well as fresh ideas. But he was obviously a traditionalist. He was palpably devoted to the establishment with the monarch at its apex.
That did not mean he could not branch out and seek new interests. It did not preclude his leadership extending into fresh areas, though there were constraints in the end on what he could do and how he framed his contribution.
Soon after the latest series of Netflix series The Crown, conspiracy theorists had a field day when a documentary shot in the 1960s of the royal family at home was leaked on YouTube. Although broadcast nationwide after it was shot, the behind-the-scenes look at the family has never been shown again. This has prompted allegations that the family suppressed the work.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip greet UAE President Sheikh Khalifa, at Windsor Castle in 2013. Getty Images
Sheikh Zayed, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip seated before lunch at the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi, in 1979. Getty Images
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa speaks to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during their visit to Abu Dhabi in 2010. Getty Images
Prince Philip attends a military air display in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip together during a visit to Abu Dhabi in 1979, which was part of their tour of the Gulf. Getty Images
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, speaks to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in 2010. Getty Images
Prince Philip visits a souq in Muscat during a state visit to Oman in 1979. Getty Images
Prince Philip looks at a hawk during a visit to Manama, Bahrain, in 1979. Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip disembark the Royal Yacht Britannia in Kuwait, in 1979. Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are presented with a gift by the then-Sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, before a state banquet in Muscat, Oman, in 2010. Getty Images
Prince Philip at a news conference for the World Wide Fund for Nature in Ougney-les-Champs, France. Prince Philip was President of the WWF from 1981 to 1996. AFP
Prince Philip was a traditionalist. That did not mean he could not branch out and seek new interests
Prince Philip pushed the idea of allowing the cameras in and wanted to show that the family was open to changing modern times. Like his work on the environment, youth development and faith it showed he had trust in the future. Appreciation of the powers of change around you is something particularly valuable in a royal family when the pace of advancement is so rapid.
There are plenty of questions that dogged Prince Philip. The comments he would make that pigeon-holed people alienated many. The relationship between the males in Queen Elizabeth’s family are clearly imperfect and often to the detriment of its reputation.
In more recent times, his grandson Prince Harry has likened the oppressive set-up to being trapped in a cage. For Prince Philip there was a lifetime of adaptation. What he saw and thought was only ever in the prism of the institution. His insight was that he could develop leadership roles for the benefit of others in the world.
The natural world is a beneficiary of his long life.
Damien McElroy is the London bureau chief at The National
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Previous men's records
2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
HEADLINE HERE
I would recommend writing out the text in the body
And then copy into this box
It can be as long as you link
But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
Or try to keep the word count down
Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea When: Tonight, 5.30pm Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Tickets:www.ticketmaster.ae
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
How to apply for a drone permit
Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
Submit their request
What are the regulations?
Fly it within visual line of sight
Never over populated areas
Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
