Prince Philip Biography

(Husband of Queen Elizabeth II)

Birthday: June 10, 1921 (Gemini)

Born In: Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the oldest male member of the British royal family and the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch. Born as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, he was a member of the ‘House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.’ He joined the navy in 1938 and served during the ‘Second World War.’ His family connections earned him the access to the British royal family, and his engagement with Princess Elizabeth, who later became the queen, took place. Before his engagement, he abandoned his Danish and Greek royal titles. Before the wedding, he was created Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich, and Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1952, he served as the royal consort of the UK and the other Commonwealth realms. Of the many societies and causes which he supportted, the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme for young people and his initiatives to protect the wildlife are the most prominent ones. Apart from serving as the royal consort, Philip was a vigorous public speaker and enthusiastic sportsman. He held honorary memberships in the Rotary clubs of Edinburgh, Scotland, and King’s Lynn, England. He was a patron of many organizations, and served as chairman of ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’ for people aged 14 to 24.

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Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In June

Also Known As: Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Died At Age: 99

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Elizabeth II (m. 1947)

father: Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark

mother: Princess Alice of Battenberg

siblings: Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark, Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, Princess Theodora of Greece and Demark, Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark

children: Anne, Charles, Charles, Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Prince Andrew, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, Princess Royal

Born Country: Greece

Royal Family Members British Men

Height: 1.83 m

Died on: April 9, 2021

place of death: Windsor Castle, London, England

More Facts

education: Schule Schloss Salem, Gordonstoun School, Cheam School

Childhood & Early Life
Prince Philip was born on 10 June 1921, in Mon Repos, Corfu, Kingdom of Greece, to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, the eldest daughter of Louis Alexander Mountbatten. With four elder sisters, he was the youngest of five children. He was brought up in Great Britain after his family was forced to leave Greece post ‘World War I.’
He was first admitted to an American school in Paris, but was later sent to the UK to attend ‘Cheam School’ in 1928. He lived there with his maternal grandmother at ‘Kensington Palace.’
In 1933, he was sent to Germany to attend ‘Schule Schloss Salem,’ a boarding school owned by the family members of his brother-in-law, Berthold, Margrave of Baden. After finishing two terms there, he moved to Gordonstoun because of the rise of Nazism in Germany.
In 1939, he left Gordonstoun and joined the ‘Royal Navy’ at the ‘Royal Naval College,’ Dartmouth, from where he graduated the next year as the top cadet in his class.
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Career

He served in ‘World War II’ as part of the British forces where he was commissioned as a midshipman in 1940. He spent four months on the battleship ‘HMS Ramillies,’ followed by shorter postings on ‘HMS Shropshire’ and ‘HMS Kent.’ In October, he was transferred to ‘HMS Valiant’ in the Mediterranean fleet after the invasion of Greece by Italy.

He was promoted to sub-lieutenant after few courses at Portsmouth where he earned the top grade in four out of five sections of the qualifying examination. Soon, he was appointed to ‘HMS Wallace’ which was involved in the allied invasion of Sicily.

On July 16, 1942, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In October of the same year, he became the first lieutenant of ‘HMS Wallace’ from the ‘Royal Navy.’ After two years, he moved to ‘HMS Whelp.’ In January 1946, he was posted as an instructor at ‘HMS Royal Arthur’ in Wiltshire.

On November 19, 1947, he was appointed to the highest order of Chivalry, ‘Order of the Garter.’ He thereby received 17 different appointments and decorations in the Commonwealth, and 48 by foreign states. Soon, he was made chairman of the ‘Coronation Commission,’ and became the first member of the royal family to fly in a helicopter and visit the troops that were to participate in the ceremony.

In 1952, he was appointed ‘Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps,’ ‘Colonel-in-chief of the British Army Cadet Force,’ and ‘Air Commodore-in-chief of the Air Training Corps.’ The following year, he was made the ‘Admiral of the Fleet,’ ‘Captain General Royal Marines,’ ‘Field Marshal,’ and ‘Marshal of the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom.’

In 1956, he founded the ‘Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’ with a German educator named Kurt Hahn to help young people have a sense of responsibility towards themselves and their communities. During these years, he traveled across the globe aboard the newly commissioned ‘HMY Britannia,’ and opened the 1956 ‘Summer Olympics’ in Melbourne. He also visited the Antarctic during this time.

On February 22, 1957, he received the title of ‘Prince of the United Kingdom.’ On that day, it was declared that he would be referred to as ‘His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.’ On October 14, he took his ‘Oath of Allegiance’ before the queen at her Canadian residence, ‘Rideau Hall.’

Major Works

From 1961 to 1982, he served as UK president of the ‘World Wildlife Fund.’ He took up international presidentship from 1981, focusing on wildlife and environmental issues.

He was the patron of ‘Work Foundation’ and was president of the ‘International Equestrian Federation’ from 1964 to 1986. He also served as chancellor of the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Salford, and Wales.

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Awards & Achievements

On November 4, 1951, he was appointed to the Lord of her Majesty’s most honorable privy council. After two years, he was appointed as ‘Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.’

In 1963, he was appointed as ‘Member First Class of the Order of the Brilliant Star’ by Zanzibar. In 1972, he was made an ‘Honorary Member of the Darjah Utama Temasek’ by Singapore.

On his 90th birthday, the queen appointed him ‘Lord High Admiral of the Royal Navy,’ the highest rank in the organization that anyone other than the sovereign can hold. He was also appointed to the highest ranks available in each branch of the Canadian Forces; ‘Honorary Admiral of the Maritime Command’ and ‘General of the Land Force Command and Air Command.’

The ‘Duke of Edinburgh Award’ was named after him. The award is given on completing a program of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24. Another award titled ‘Prince Philip’s Designer’s Prize,’ which is given by the ‘Design Council,’ is an annual design recognition award. ‘Prince Philip Medal’ is awarded to the engineer of any nationality who has made an exceptional contribution to engineering, management, or education.

On April 2013, he was appointed as the ‘Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada’ and ‘Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit.’

Family & Personal Life

In 1939, he met Elizabeth, daughter of King George VI, when she visited ‘Royal Naval College,’ Dartmouth with her parents. They fell in love with each other and remained in touch through exchange of letters. In 1946, he asked the king for his daughter’s hand in marriage to which he agreed. They got married on November 20, 1947, at ‘Westminster Abbey.’

He had four children, namely Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

Prince Philip retired from his royal duties on 2 August 2017, at the age of 96.

He passed away on 9 April 2021, at Windsor Castle, London, just a few months short of his 100th birthday.

Trivia

He was positioned at 496th in the line of succession to the British throne as a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.

He liked to drive a Hackney green taxi through London.

See the events in life of Prince Philip in Chronological Order

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- Prince Philip Biography
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