Marylebone Cricket Club is greatly saddened by the death of His Royal highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

I have written today to Buckingham Palace to ask that our deepest sympathy and condolences be conveyed to our Patron Her Majesty The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, on behalf of the MCC Committee, our Members and staff, past and present.

The Duke’s first presidency was notable for the Club’s first real intention to open out the game, championing youth cricket with no boundaries. The 1949 initiative, and its lasting legacy, owes a great deal to the determination of Prince Philip as President of our Club, which he tied in with his presidency of the National Playing Fields Association, and his passion to make sport accessible to all.

His second term as MCC President began in October 1974. The Club had changed significantly since his earlier period in office, with much greater emphasis placed on the President’s additional national and international roles as Chairman of the Cricket Council and the International Cricket Council, making it all the more apt that the consort of the Head of the Commonwealth should be the head of world cricket, at the time predominantly a Commonwealth sport. This international focus was best exemplified by the playing, during Prince Philip’s second presidency, of the first Men’s World Cup.  The final was contested at Lord’s between West Indies and Australia and a momentous day for cricket came to its historic conclusion when The Duke presented the trophy to West Indies’ captain, Clive Lloyd.

The Duke visited Lord’s on many occasions for cricket matches, in a private as well as a public capacity and we were privileged to receive him for the opening of a number of new facilities at the Ground including, most recently, the Warner Stand in 2017. His wider support for sport and wellbeing is well-documented but we were particularly fortunate to benefit from his lifelong involvement in cricket and with our Club.

Guy Lavender
Chief Executive & Secretary, MCC