Racing pigeons to be liberated in Chichester to commemorate Prince Philip

The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) will be liberating ten pigeons from cathedral cities across the UK, including Chichester, to commemorate the life of the Duke of Edinburgh tomorrow (April 17) at midday.

The ten liberated pigeons will represent each decade of the Duke’s life and will be released simultaneously across the UK.

Ian Evans, CEO of the RPRA says: “We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh and we want to commemorate his life and show our support for the Royal Family.

"The RPRA and the Royal Family both share a rich history together as the family has had a close affinity with the sport for over 100 years, so we wanted to celebrate this by liberating pigeons across the UK.

“When accompanying the Queen to the Sandringham Estate, the Duke always showed an interest in the royal pigeons and we feel that this would be a fitting tribute.”

The Royal Family began to keep pigeons in the late 19th century and the tradition has been maintained by Queen Elizabeth II.