We have sent our deepest condolences to Her Majesty The Queen on the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
His Royal Highness was President of The FA between 1955 and 1957, although he attended his first final in 1949 and would be a regular presence at the Wembley showpiece into the 1960s.
The tradition for him to be introduced to both teams before kick-off included the memorable 1953 final made famous by Sir Stanley Matthews’ Blackpool side winning 4-3 against Bolton Wanderers.
In April 1961, he was presented pre-match to the England and Scotland teams for the British Home Championship decider at Wembley, where the home side won 9-3 to take the trophy.
His Royal Highness remained an honorary member of The FA and accompanied HM The Queen for English football’s finest hour: the 1966 FIFA World Cup win at Wembley. He was also present for the final of the 1996 UEFA European Championship at the stadium.
We have sought guidance from the Royal Household and Her Majesty’s Government, and can confirm all football fixtures this evening and over the weekend (10-11 April) can continue at the discretion of competition organisers. We will be recommending that black armbands are worn and a minute’s silence is observed before matches are played, including England’s international fixture in France tonight.
As a mark of respect, all flags at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park will fly at half-mast and the Wembley arch will also be lit.
Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, HM The Queen and our President HRH The Duke of Cambridge.
