For over half a century, the Duke of Edinburgh was at the forefront of youth social action, volunteering, and non-formal education for young people. He held a passion for the lives and opportunities available to young people and worked tirelessly to make a lasting difference. His support – and genuine interest in the stories he heard – won him a place in the hearts of many people.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s involvement with The Boys’ Brigade began in 1955. Following the success of an ‘Adventurous Training’ course for Seniors in August 1955, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was taken up with great enthusiasm, and the first awards were presented to our members by the Duke on a visit to Scotland in 1958. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award changed the course and structure of awards in the Brigade and the Duke will be remembered for the influence he had on our work from the 1950s onwards.

The Duke took an active interest in the stories of those who had completed the programme and he made an effort to personally present many young people with their awards. When presented, awards were often given with a dose of the Duke’s well-known humour. On a visit to BB members in Lancashire in 1959 when observing them cooking sausages as part of their demonstration of outdoor pursuits, the Duke was asked if he would like to try some.

“No, thanks, I’ve just had lunch with the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall. He might think he didn’t give me enough to eat!”

At many of the events in the history of The Boys’ Brigade the Duke of Edinburgh was found at the side of Her Majesty The Queen when carrying out duties as our Patron.

In his later years, the Duke of Edinburgh continued his association with The Boys’ Brigade and was ever-present alongside the Queen at Garden Parties attended by recipients of the Queen’s Badge, the highest award in the Brigade.

In 2017 the Duke stepped back from public life, with one of his final interactions with members of The Boys’ Brigade taking place on 16th May 2016 where eight members from Northern Ireland were presented with their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Awards at a special presentation at Buckingham Palace.

The Duke of Edinburgh will be remembered by The Boys’ Brigade as a pioneer in youth work through the award which bore his name but also for the personal interest and humour he shared with the young people he met during special Royal events. He will forever hold an important place in the history of our organisation, through the work which began in the 1950s.

Our thanks to The Boys’ Brigade Archive Trust for providing much of the information found in this article.