Britain's Prince Philip presented medals to three leading thinkers in Edinburgh's Holyrood Palace, Scotland, yesterday (12.08.08). The Duke of Edinburgh spoke to the three recipients, who had been recommended by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) for the "profound influence" and "outstanding contribution" their work has had on people's lives worldwide. The three award winners included Richard Holloway, the chairman of the Scottish Arts Council who was previously a Bishop of Edinburgh, who was recognised for the effect his controversial debates on ethics and theology have had. University of Dundee's Professor Roger Fletcher was honoured for his work on mathematics and software development, and is considered "one of the elite group of active mathematicians in the world", according to the people behind the awards. The last person to receive a medal from the prince was Professor Sir David Lane, who has been described as "one of the world's foremost scientists" and has had a major influence in the field of cancer research. Sir Michael Atiyah, president of the RSE, said: "They are all worthy recipients."