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Australia pays tribute to Prince Philip

Nick GibbsAAP
Queen Elizabeth and senior royals have bid a final farewell to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Camera IconQueen Elizabeth and senior royals have bid a final farewell to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Credit: AP

A memorial for Prince Philip has been held at Adelaide's St Peter's Cathedral, capping off a series of thanksgiving services for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The congregation was told Prince Philip only stepped back from public life in 2017, in a sermon delivered by the head of the Anglican Church in Australia, Archbishop of Adelaide Geoff Smith.

"So he didn't retire until he was 96. I can't imagine any of us continuing to work until we are 96, even if we could," Archbishop Smith said.

"Prince Philip's was an extraordinary record of service, his was a life focused on service."

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Parishioners heard the duke was associated with almost 1000 organisations as a patron, president or honorary member.

Reverend Adrian Stephens, locum dean of Adelaide, led the well-attended service at the landmark cathedral on Sunday night.

"We give thanks for his love and steadfast devotion to Elizabeth, our Queen; the example he set to Charles Prince of Wales, Anne the Princess Royal, Andrew Duke of York and Edward Earl of Wessex; their children and grandchildren; and pray for them in their grief ," Rev Stephens said.

"We give thanks for his long service to the Commonwealth of Nations and this nation, in wartime and times of peace, and for the gift of faith in his life."

Among the attendees at the service were SA Premier Steven Marshall, and the Governor of South Australia, the Honourable Hieu Van Le, who gave the first reading.

The Duke of Edinburgh died in his sleep on April 9, two months before his 100th birthday and shortly after a month-long stay in hospital.

His funeral took place in England's Windsor Castle on Saturday.

Thanksgiving services took place earlier this week at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney and St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, with attendees including the governor-general and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Australians have sent thousands of messages of condolence online via the government website pmc.gov.au, which will be forwarded to Buckingham Palace.

Prince Philip visited Australia 21 times, the first in 1940 before his marriage to the then-Princess Elizabeth.

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