Slovaks recall the Duke of Edinburgh’s sense of humour

What was it like to meet Prince Philip? Some Slovaks know well.

Prince Philip and young people who took part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award talk at Buckingham Palace in 2012.Prince Philip and young people who took part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award talk at Buckingham Palace in 2012. (Source: DofE)

It was because of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, which he completed in Great Britain, and a meeting with Prince Philip in the nineties, that Matej Sapák, a young Slovak student keen on physics and informatics, found the courage to apply for Harvard.

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“That experience opened my eyes,” Sapák, now the headmaster of the LEAF Academy, said.

Millions of young people, including Slovaks, have challenged themselves, acquired life skills and helped their communities through the Award Scheme, a global youth development program co-founded by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956. Sapák is a gold award holder.

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“It allowed me to think about what a man could do if he had a little luck, perseverance and was looking for ways to do additional things on top of the usual,” the headmaster added.

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