The Duke of Edinburgh’s children have paid tribute to him as the rock in the Queen and their family’s lives.

His youngest son the Earl of Wessex said Philip had a “challenging role”, but carried it out with the most “extraordinary flare” and had never tried to overshadow the Queen.

Speaking on a BBC tribute on Friday evening, all four of the duke’s children paid tribute to him as someone who had encouraged and supported them.

Prince Edward said: “It was always a challenging role to take but he has done it with the most extraordinary flare and an extraordinary tact and diplomacy.

“He has never ever tried to overshadow the Queen in any shape or form and I think he has always been there as that rock in the Queen’s life, and certainly within his family that was exactly the same.”

Philip died peacefully in his sleep on Friday morning at Windsor Castle, a few months before his 100th birthday.

The Princess Royal said she would best remember her father as “always being there”, someone to help with a problem or bounce ideas off.

She added: “I will best remember him as always being there and a person you could bounce off ideas, but if you were having problems you could always go to him and know that he would listen and try to help.”

Anne also said Philip had given a “huge amount of encouragement”, while Edward added: “My father was always a great source of support and encouragement and guidance all the way through and never trying to curtail any of the activities or anything that we wanted to try and do but would always encourage that.

“And I will always, always remember and thank him for that.”

The Prince of Wales said that while his father did not “suffer fools gladly”, he was good at showing him how to do things.

Charles added: “Well you know he didn’t suffer fools gladly, so if you said anything that was in any way ambiguous he’d say ‘make up your mind’.

“So perhaps it made one choose your words carefully.

“He was very good at showing you how to do things and would instruct you in various things.”

The Duke of York said that Philip used to read to the family in the evenings.

Andrew added: “Like any family of the day your parents went out to work during the day, but in the evening just the same as any other family we would get together, we would sit on the sofa as a group and he would read to us.”

Speaking to ITV News, Edward also said that Philip’s public image portrayed by certain parts of the media was “always an unfair depiction”

Prince Edward said his father had a “wonderful” sense of humour, but people could misinterpret things or “turn it against them”.

Edward said: “The public image that certain parts of the media would portray was always an unfair depiction.

“He used to give them as good as he got and always in a very entertaining way.

“He was brilliant. Always absolutely brilliant.

“He had a wonderful sense of humour but of course you can always misinterpret something or turn it against them, so it sounds like it’s not right.

“But anyone who had the privilege to hear him speak said it was his humour which always came through and the twinkle in his eye.”

Anne also told ITV News that without her father “life would be completely different”.

Speaking about Philip’s legacy, Anne said: “Without him life will be completely different.

“But from society’s perspective he was able to keep pace with the kind of technological changes that have such an impact… but above all that it’s not about the technology it’s about the people.”