When Prince Philip became our Patron in 1966, the Muscular Dystrophy Group had been going for six years.
From a world in which very little was known or understood about muscular dystrophy, we are today seeing real advances in the search for treatments and cures and in clinical support and care for people living with the condition. It is only with the backing of Prince Philip and our community of supporters that this progress has been possible.
You can read more about this progress in our 2016 publication, 50 Years Together, honouring Prince Philip’s outstanding half-century of service.
We were incredibly grateful to hear that the Royal Family have encouraged the public to donate to charity in memory of the Duke. Prince Philip took a genuine interest in the work of MDUK, and was always keen to hear about the pioneering research we fund into treatments and cures for muscle-wasting conditions. In celebration of his life and our long relationship with him, we’d like to invite you to donate to MDUK, to help keep this vital work moving ahead.
If you’d like to leave a gift to honour HRH Prince Philip, you can donate here. Thank you.
MDUK Patron, Ian Corner, a prolific fundraiser and supporter of the charity since the mid-1990s, met Prince Philip four times. It was his wicked sense of humour that Ian remembers fondly.
I first met Prince Philip at Lord Attenborough’s birthday party at St. James’s Palace. He asked me how I’d become involved in the charity and I told him about my son, who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He asked a few like-minded people in my group the same question, and each said they’d become involved with the charity because of me! With a twinkle in his eye, he told me he didn’t need to talk to me again! He was clearly impressed I’d got so many people involved!
I met him on three other occasions at MDUK events, and he was always friendly and well-informed about each guest. Our charity community will miss him.
Tanvi Vyas, MDUK Trustee, met Prince Philip on two separate occasions:
I found Prince Philip to be really charismatic, charming and well-humoured. He had an incredible memory, and recalled meeting me on a previous occasion, which was really surprising considering the number of people he must meet. It’s been wonderful that Prince Philip supported the charity and its aims for many years.
Bernie Henderson is a long-term supporter who has run every London Marathon since 2005 for MDUK, raising over £25k for us. He shares his memory of meeting Prince Philip:
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Prince Phillip. We had the pleasure to meet him at St. James’s Palace in 2016 before he retired from public duties. It was a function to celebrate him being the Patron of MDUK for 50 years. Despite his advancing years, it was the third of four engagements he was fulfilling that day. He was engaging and witty throughout our conversation and his presentation.
“I’m sure there will be many charities that will be enormously grateful for the support he provided. May he rest in peace.
Help us celebrate Prince Philip’s life by sharing your memories of meeting him or your thoughts about what it meant to MDUK to have him as our Royal Patron. Please add your story in the form below.
Thank you for helping to beat muscle-wasting conditions.
