Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (bornPrince Philip of Greece and Denmark,[1] laterPhilip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921[fn 1] – 9 April 2021), was the husband ofQueen Elizabeth II. As such, he was theconsort of the British monarch from his wife's accession on 6 February 1952 untilhis death in 2021, making him the longest-serving royal consort in history.
Philip was born in Greece into theGreek andDanish royal families; his family was exiled from the country when he was eighteen months old. After being educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, he joined theRoyal Navy in 1939, when he was 18 years old. In July 1939, Philip began corresponding with the 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, the elder daughter andheir presumptive ofKing George VI. During theSecond World War, he served with distinction in the BritishMediterranean andPacific fleets.
Greece suffered significant losses in the war, while the Turks made substantial gains. Philip's uncle and high commander of the Greekexpeditionary force,King Constantine I, was blamed for the defeat and wasforced to abdicate in September 1922. The new military government arrested Andrew, along with others. GeneralGeorgios Hatzianestis, who wascommanding officer of the army, and five senior politicians were arrested, tried, and executed in theTrial of the Six. Andrew's life was also believed to be in danger and Alice was under surveillance. Finally, in December, a revolutionary court banished Andrew from Greece for life.[11] The British naval vesselHMS Calypso evacuated Andrew's family, with Philip carried to safety in a fruit box.[12]
Upbringing in France, Britain and Germany
Philip's family settled in a house in the Paris suburb ofSaint-Cloud lent to them by his wealthy aunt,Princess George of Greece and Denmark.[12] During his time there, Philip was first educated at The Elms, an American school in Paris run by Donald MacJannet, who described Philip as a "know it all smarty person, but always remarkably polite".[13] In 1930 Philip was sent to Britain to live with his maternal grandmother atKensington Palace and his uncleGeorge Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, at Lynden Manor inBray, Berkshire.[14] He was then enrolled atCheam School.[14] Over the next three years, his four sisters marriedGerman princes and moved to Germany, his mother was diagnosed withschizophrenia and placed in an asylum,[15] and his father took up residence inMonte Carlo.[16] Philip had little contact with his mother for the remainder of his childhood.[17]
Philip did not speak Greek because he had left Greece as an infant. In 1992 he said that he "could understand a certain amount".[24] He stated that he thought of himself as Danish and spoke mostly English, while his family was multilingual.[24] Known for his charm in his youth, Philip was linked to several women, includingOsla Benning.[25]
Promotion tolieutenant followed on 16 July 1942.[34] That October Philip, aged 21, becamefirst lieutenant of HMSWallace, one of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy. During the invasion of Sicily, in July 1943, he wassecond-in-command ofWallace. The ship was attacked at night by German aircraft, which would return to finish off the damaged ship; it was saved by Philip's devising a plan to launch a raft with smoke floats that successfully decoyed the bombers, allowing the ship to slip away unnoticed.[33] In 1944, he moved on to the new destroyer,HMS Whelp, where he saw service with theBritish Pacific Fleet in the 27th Destroyer Flotilla.[35][36] He was present inTokyo Bay when theJapanese Instrument of Surrender was signed. Philip returned to the United Kingdom on theWhelp in January 1946 and was posted as an instructor atHMS Royal Arthur, the Petty Officers' School inCorsham, Wiltshire.[37]
In 1939King George VI andQueen Elizabeth toured the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. During the visit, the Queen and Lord Louis Mountbatten asked his nephew Philip to escort the royal couple's daughters, 13-year-oldElizabeth and 9-year-oldMargaret, who were Philip's third cousins throughQueen Victoria of the United Kingdom and second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark.[38] Philip and Elizabeth had first met as children in 1934 atthe wedding of Elizabeth's unclePrince George, Duke of Kent, to Philip's first cousin,Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. After their 1939 meeting, Elizabeth fell in love with Philip, and they began to exchange letters.[39]
Eventually, in the summer of 1946, Philip asked George VI for his daughter's hand in marriage. The King granted his request, provided that any formal engagement be delayed until Elizabeth's 21st birthday the following April.[40] By March 1947, Philip had adopted the surname Mountbatten from his mother's family and had stopped using his Greek and Danish royal titles upon becoming a naturalised British subject. The engagement was announced to the public on 9 July 1947.[41]
The engagement attracted some controversy; Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born, and had sisters who had married German noblemen with Nazi links.[42]Marion Crawford wrote: "Some of the King's advisors did not think him good enough for her. He was a prince without a home or kingdom. Some of the papers played long and loud tunes on the string of Philip's foreign origin."[43] Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother had reservations about the union initially and teased Philip as "the Hun".[44] In later life, however, she told the biographerTim Heald that Philip was "an English gentleman".[45]
Wedding portrait of Philip and Elizabeth
Though Philip appeared "always to have regarded himself as anAnglican",[46] and he had attended Anglican services with his classmates and relations in England and throughout his Royal Navy days, he was baptised in theGreek Orthodox Church. TheArchbishop of Canterbury,Geoffrey Fisher, wanted to "regularise" Philip's position by officially receiving him into theChurch of England,[47] which he did in October 1947.[48] The day before the wedding, the King bestowed thestyle ofRoyal Highness on Philip, and, on the morning of the wedding, 20 November 1947, he was made theDuke of Edinburgh,Earl of Merioneth, andBaron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London.[49] Consequently, being already aKnight of the Garter, between 19 and 20 November 1947, he bore the unusual style Lieutenant His Royal Highness Sir Philip Mountbatten and is so described in theletters patent of 20 November 1947.[49]
Philip and Elizabeth were married in a ceremony atWestminster Abbey, recorded and broadcast byBBC radio to 200 million people around the world.[50] In post-war Britain, it was unacceptable for any of Philip's German relations, including his three surviving sisters, to be invited to the wedding. After their marriage, Philip and Elizabeth took residence atClarence House. Their first two children were born before Elizabeth's accession in 1952:Prince Charles in November 1948 andPrincess Anne in August 1950. The couple's marriage was the longest of any British monarch, lasting over 73 years until Philip died in 2021.[51][52] Concerned by her father's poor health, Elizabeth insisted that Philipgive up smoking, which he did on their wedding day.[53]
With the King in ill health, Elizabeth and Philip were both appointed to thePrivy Council on 4 November 1951, after a coast-to-coast tour of Canada. At the end of January 1952, the couple set out on a tour ofthe Commonwealth. They were inKenya whenElizabeth's father died on 6 February 1952, and she became queen. Philip broke the news to Elizabeth atSagana Lodge, and the royal party immediately returned to the United Kingdom.[65]
In December 1952, Philip was initiated intoFreemasonry by theWorshipful Master of Navy Lodge No 2612, honouring a commitment he had made to George VI, who had made it clear that he expected Philip to maintain the tradition of royal patronage of Freemasonry. However, according to one journalist writing in 1983, Philip's mother-in-law and his uncleLord Mountbatten had unfavourable views of Freemasonry; after his initiation, Philip took no further part in the organisation. Although as the consort of the Queen, he might in time have been madeGrand Master of British Freemasonry, Elizabeth's cousinPrince Edward, Duke of Kent, assumed that role in 1967. Philip's son Charles apparently never joined Freemasonry.[66]
Elizabeth's accession to the throne brought up the question of the name of theroyal house, as Elizabeth would typically have taken Philip's last name upon marriage. Lord Mountbatten advocated the nameHouse of Mountbatten. Philip suggestedHouse of Edinburgh after his ducal title.[67] When Elizabeth's grandmotherQueen Mary heard of this, she informedWinston Churchill, who later advised Elizabeth to issue a royal proclamation declaring that the royal house was to remain known as theHouse of Windsor. Philip privately complained, "I am nothing but a bloody amoeba. I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children."[68]
In February 1960, the Queen issued anOrder in Council declaring thatMountbatten-Windsor would be the surname of the couple'smale-line descendants who are not styled as Royal Highness or titled as prince or princess.[69] While it seems Elizabeth had "absolutely set her heart" on such a change and had it in mind for some time, it occurred only 11 days before the birth of their third child,Prince Andrew, and only after three months of protracted correspondence between English constitutional expertEdward Iwi (who averred that, without such a change, the royal child would be born with "the Badge of Bastardy") andHarold Macmillan, who had attempted to refute Iwi's arguments.[70] Elizabeth and Philip's fourth child,Prince Edward, was born in March 1964.[71]
Six months after she acceded to the throne, Elizabeth announced that Philip was to have "place, pre-eminence and precedence" next to her "on all occasions and in all meetings, except where otherwise provided byAct of Parliament".[72] She also intervened to ensure that Philip would serve asregent for their son Charles in the event of her unexpected death.[73] Parliament passeda bill to that effect in 1953.[74] Contrary to rumours over the years, Elizabeth and Philip were said by insiders to have had a strong relationship throughout their marriage, despite the challenges of Elizabeth's reign.[75][76] Elizabeth referred to Philip in a speech on the occasion of herDiamond Jubilee in 2012 as her "constant strength and guide".[76]
Philip received a Parliamentaryannuity (of £359,000 since 1990[fn 3]) to meet official expenses in carrying out public duties. The annuity was unaffected by the reform of royal finances under theSovereign Grant Act 2011.[77][78] Any part of the allowance that was not used to meet official expenditure was liable for tax. In practice, the entire allowance was used to fund his official duties.[79]
Supporting the Queen
With Elizabeth in New Zealand, 1954
As consort, Philip supported his wife in her duties assovereign, accompanying her to ceremonies such as theState Opening of Parliament in various countries,state dinners, and tours abroad. As chairman of theCoronation Commission, he was the first member of the royal family to fly in ahelicopter, visiting the troops that were to take part in the ceremony.[80] Philip was not himself crowned in the coronation service, but knelt before Elizabeth, with her hands enclosing his, and swore to be her "liege man of life and limb".[81] For six months, spanning 1953 and 1954, they toured the Commonwealth; as was customary during previous tours, the children remained in Britain.[82]
In the early 1950s, Philip's sister-in-law, Princess Margaret, considered marrying a divorced older man,Peter Townsend. The press accused Philip of being hostile to the match, to which he replied: "I haven't done anything."[83] Eventually, Margaret and Townsend parted.[82] In 1960Margaret marriedAntony Armstrong-Jones, who was createdEarl of Snowdon the following year. They divorced in 1978; Margaret did not remarry.[84]
In 1956 Philip and Kurt Hahn foundedThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award to give young people "a sense of responsibility to themselves and their communities".[85][86] In the same year, he also established theCommonwealth Study Conferences. From 1956 to 1957, he travelled around the world aboard the newly commissionedHMY Britannia, during which he opened the1956 Summer Olympics inMelbourne and visited theAntarctic, becoming the first royal to cross theAntarctic Circle.[87] Elizabeth and the children remained in Britain. On the return leg of the journey, Philip'sprivate secretary,Mike Parker, was sued for divorce by his wife. As with Townsend, the press still portrayed divorce as a scandal, and eventually, Parker resigned. He later said that Philip was very supportive and "the Queen was wonderful throughout. She regarded divorce as a sadness, not a hanging offence."[88] In a public show of support, Elizabeth created Parker aCommander of the Royal Victorian Order.[89]
With Elizabeth in Ottawa, 1957
Further press reports claimed that the royal couple were drifting apart, which enraged Philip and dismayed Elizabeth, who issued a strongly worded denial.[90] She granted him the style and title of aPrince of the United Kingdom by Letters Patent on 22 February 1957; it wasgazetted that Philip was to be known as "His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh".[91] Philip was appointed to theQueen's Privy Council for Canada on 14 October 1957, taking hisOath of Allegiance before the Queen in person at her Canadian residence,Rideau Hall.[92] Remarks he made two years later to theCanadian Medical Association on the subject of youth and sport were taken as a suggestion that Canadian children were out of shape. This was at first considered "tactless", but Philip was later admired for his encouragement ofphysical fitness.[93] While in Canada in 1969, he spoke about his views onrepublicanism:
It is a complete misconception to imagine that the monarchy exists in the interests of the monarch. It doesn't. It exists in the interests of the people. If at any time any nation decides that the system is unacceptable, then it is up to them to change it.[94]
In 1960 Philip attended theNational Eisteddfod of Wales wearing a long green robe, where he was initiated as an HonoraryOvate by theArchdruid of WalesEdgar Phillips through hisbardic namePhilip Meirionnydd, to reflect his title of Earl of Merioneth.[95] In 1961 he became the first member of the royal family to be interviewed on television, after he appeared onPanorama to answer questions byRichard Dimbleby about the Commonwealth Technical Training Week, an initiative of which he waspatron.[96] In 1969 he made a similar appearance onMeet the Press during a tour of North America.[97]
At the beginning of 1981 Philip wrote to his son Charles counselling him to make up his mind to either propose toLady Diana Spencer or break off their courtship.[121] Charles felt pressured by his father to make a decision and did so, proposing to Diana in February.[122]They married five months later. By 1992 the marriage had broken down. Elizabeth and Philip hosted a meeting between Charles and Diana, trying to effect a reconciliation, but without success.[123] Philip wrote to Diana, expressing his disappointment at Charles's and her extra-marital affairs and asking her to examine both his and her behaviour from the other's point of view.[124] She found the letters hard to take but appreciated that he acted with good intent.[125] Charles and Diana separated in 1992[126] and divorced in 1996.[127]
A year after the divorce,Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. At the time, Philip was on holiday atBalmoral with the extended royal family. In their grief, Diana's sons, Princes William andHarry, wanted to attend church, so Elizabeth and Philip took them that morning.[128] For five days, the royal couple shielded their grandsons from the ensuing press interest by keeping them at Balmoral, where they could grieve in private.[128] The royal family's seclusion caused public dismay,[128] but the public mood changed after a live broadcast made by Elizabeth on 5 September.[129] Uncertain as to whether they should walk behind their mother's coffin during thefuneral procession, William and Harry hesitated.[129] Philip told William: "If you don't walk, I think you'll regret it later. If I walk, will you walk with me?"[129] On the day of the funeral, Philip, William, Harry, Charles, and Diana's brother,Earl Spencer, walked through London behind her gun carriage.[129] Over the next few years,Mohamed Al-Fayed, whose sonDodi Fayed was also killed in the crash, claimed that Philip had ordered the death of Diana and that the accident was staged. The inquest into Diana's death concluded in 2008 that there was no evidence ofa conspiracy.[130]
In April 2009, Philip became the longest-serving British royal consort, surpassingCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife ofGeorge III.[134] He became the oldest-ever male British royal in February 2013 and the third-longest-lived member of the British royal family (followingPrincess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) in April 2019.[135] Personally, he was not enthused about living an extremely long life, remarking in a 2000 interview (when he was 79) that he could not "imagine anything worse" and had "no desire whatsoever" to become acentenarian, saying "bits of me are falling off already".[136]
At the official opening of theFifth Assembly of the Senedd in Cardiff, 2016. Clockwise and facing from left to right: Senedd speakerElin Jones, Philip's daughter-in-lawCamilla, his son Charles, Welsh first ministerCarwyn Jones, Philip and Elizabeth
In 2008 Philip was admitted toKing Edward VII's Hospital, London, for a chest infection; he walked into the hospital unaided, recovered quickly,[137] and was discharged three days later.[138] After theEvening Standard reported that Philip hadprostate cancer, Buckingham Palace—which usually refuses to comment on health rumours—denied the story[139] and the paper retracted it.[140][141]
In June 2011, in an interview marking his 90th birthday, Philip said that he would now slow down and reduce his duties, stating that he had "done [his] bit".[142] The Queen gave him the titleLord High Admiral for his 90th birthday.[143] While staying atSandringham House in December 2011, Philip sufferedchest pains and was taken to the cardio-thoracic unit atPapworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire, where he underwent successfulcoronary angioplasty andstenting.[144] He was discharged a few days later.[145]
In June 2012, during the celebrations in honour of his wife's diamond jubilee, Philip was taken fromWindsor Castle to King Edward VII's Hospital suffering from abladder infection.[146] He was subsequently discharged.[147] After a recurrence of infection in August 2012, while staying at Balmoral Castle, he was admitted toAberdeen Royal Infirmary for five nights as a precautionary measure.[148] In June 2013, Philip was admitted tothe London Clinic for anexploratory operation on hisabdomen, spending 11 days in hospital.[149] In May 2014, he appeared in public with a bandage on his right hand after a "minor procedure" was performed inBuckingham Palace the preceding day.[150] In June 2017, Philip was taken from Windsor to London and admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital after being diagnosed with an infection.[151] He spent two nights in the hospital and was unable to attend the State Opening of Parliament andRoyal Ascot.[152][153]
Philip retired from royal duties on 2 August 2017, meetingRoyal Marines in his final solo public engagement, aged 96. Since 1952, he had completed 22,219 solo engagements. British prime ministerTheresa May thanked him for "a remarkable lifetime of service".[154][155] On 20 November 2017, he celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary with Elizabeth, which made her the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.[156]
In April 2018, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital for a plannedhip replacement. This came after the Duke missed the annualMaundy andEaster Sunday services. Princess Anne spent about 50 minutes in the hospital and afterwards said her father was "on good form". He was discharged the next day.[157] In May that year, he attendedthe wedding ofPrince Harry andMeghan Markle and was able to walk with Elizabeth unaided.[158] That October, he also accompanied Elizabeth tothe wedding of their granddaughterPrincess Eugenie of York withJack Brooksbank,[159] withThe Telegraph reporting that Philip works on a "wake up and see how I feel" basis when deciding whether to attend an event or not.[160]
In January 2019, Philip was involved in a car collision as he drove out onto a main road near theSandringham Estate. An official statement said he was uninjured. An eyewitness who helped him out of his car said there was "a little bit of blood".[161] The driver and a passenger of the other car were injured and taken to hospital.[162] Philip attended hospital the next morning as a precaution.[163] He apologised,[164] and three weeks later voluntarily surrendered hisdriving licence.[165][166] In February, theCrown Prosecution Service announced that prosecuting Philip would not be in thepublic interest.[167] Philip was still allowed to drive around private estates, and was seen behind the wheel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in April 2019.[168]
In December 2019, Philip stayed at King Edward VII's Hospital and received treatment for a "pre-existing condition" in a visit described by Buckingham Palace as a "precautionary measure".[169] He had not been seen in public since attendingLady Gabriella Windsor's wedding in May 2019.[170] A photo of the royal couple as theyisolated at Windsor Castle during theCOVID-19 pandemic was released ahead of his 99th birthday in June 2020.[171] In July 2020, he stepped down asColonel-in-Chief ofThe Rifles, a position he had held since 2007. He was succeeded by his daughter-in-lawCamilla, Duchess of Cornwall.[172]
In January 2021, Philip and Elizabeth were vaccinated againstCOVID-19 by a household doctor at Windsor Castle.[173] In February 2021, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital as a "precautionary measure" after feeling unwell;[174] he was visited by Prince Charles.[175] Buckingham Palace confirmed that Philip was "responding to treatment" for an infection.[176][177] In March, Philip was transferred by ambulance toSt Bartholomew's Hospital to continue treatment for an infection, and to undergo "testing and observation" relating to a pre-existingheart condition.[178] He underwent a successful procedure for his heart condition[179] and was transferred back to King Edward VII's Hospital.[180] He was discharged a week later and returned to Windsor Castle.[181]
Buckingham Palace on 9 April 2021; theUnion Flag is flown athalf-mast as crowds gather.
Philip died of "old age"[182][fn 4] on the morning of 9 April 2021 at Windsor Castle, at the age of 99. He was the longest-serving royal consort in world history.[184] Elizabeth described his death as "having left a huge void in her life".[185]
The palace said Philip died peacefully,[186] which was confirmed by his daughter-in-lawSophie, Countess of Wessex, who told the press it was "so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went."[187] His death led to the commencement ofOperation Forth Bridge, the plan for publicly announcing his death and organising his funeral.[186][188] The usual public ceremonial could not take place because of the regulations for the COVID-19 pandemic which restricted the number of mourners to thirty; it was later reported in the press that Elizabeth had rejected a government offer to relax the rules.[189] The funeral took place on 17 April 2021 atSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and Philip was temporarily interred alongside 25 other coffins, including that of George III, in the Royal Vault inside St George's.[190][191] Representatives of countries around the world sent condolences to the royal family upon his death.[192]
As with other senior members of the royal family, Philip's lastwill and testament will be sealed for at least 90 years, according to aHigh Court ruling, which deemed it necessary to protect the Sovereign's "dignity and standing".[193] This led to speculation that the will might contain material harmful to the reputation of the royal family.[194] The order was made by thePresident of the Family Division after a private hearing in July 2021, who said that he had neither seen the will nor been informed of any of its contents. In January 2022,The Guardian challenged the judge's decision to exclude the press from that hearing, arguing that the judge had "erred by failing to consider any lesser interference with open justice than a private hearing", and the newspaper was grantedleave to appeal.[195][196] In July 2022, theCourt of Appeal dismissed the newspaper's arguments, stating that the press could not have been informed of the hearing "without risking themedia storm that was feared".[197] The court added that "a perceived lack of transparency might be a matter of legitimate public debate, but the (Non-Contentious Probate Rules) allow wills and their values to be concealed from the public gaze in some cases".[197]
Philip playedpolo until 1971 when he started to compete incarriage driving, a sport which he helped to expand; the sport's early rule book was drafted under his supervision.[200] He was also a keen yachtsman and struck up a friendship in 1949 with boat designer and sailing enthusiastUffa Fox inCowes.[201]
Philip's first airborne flying lesson took place in 1952, and by his 70th birthday, he had accrued 5,150 pilot hours.[202] He was presented withRoyal Air Force wings in 1953, helicopter wings with the Royal Navy in 1956, and hisprivate pilot's licence in 1959.[118] After 44 years as a pilot, he retired in August 1997 with 5,986 hours spent in 59 different aircraft.[118] In April 2014, it was reported that an oldBritish Pathé newsreel film had been discovered of Philip's 1962 two-month flying tour of South America. Filmed sitting alongside him at the aircraft's controls was his co-pilotCaptain Peter Middleton, the grandfather of Philip's granddaughter-in-lawCatherine.[203] In 1959, Philip flew solo in aDruine Turbulent, becoming the first and, as of April 2021,[update] the only member of the royal family to have flown a single-seat aircraft.[204]
Her Majesty the Queen at Breakfast painted by Philip in 1957. His biographerRobert Lacey described the painting as "a tender portrayal, impressionistic in style, with brushstrokes that are charmingly soft and fuzzy".[205]
Philippainted with oils and collected artworks, including contemporarycartoons, which hang at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham House, and Balmoral Castle.Hugh Casson described Philip's own artwork as "exactly what you'd expect ... totally direct, no hanging about. Strong colours, vigorous brushstrokes."[206] He was patron of theRoyal Society of Arts from 1952 until 2011.[207] He was "fascinated" by cartoons about the monarchy and the royal family and was a patron ofThe Cartoon Museum.[208]
Personality and image
Philip typically walked a few steps behind Elizabeth in public.
Philip's down-to-earth manner was attested to by aWhite House butler, who recalled that, on a visit in 1976, Philip engaged him and a fellow butler in a conversation and poured them drinks.[209][fn 5] As well as having a reputation for bluntness and plain speaking,[211] Philip was noted for occasionally making observations and jokes that were construed as funny or typical for someone of his age and background by some, but as gaffes, awkward,politically incorrect, or even offensive by others.[212][213][214][215][216] In an address to theGeneral Dental Council in 1960, he jokingly coined anew word for his blunders: "Dontopedalogy is the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it, a science which I have practised for a good many years."[217] Later in life, he suggested his comments may have contributed to the perception that he was "a cantankerous old sod".[218]
In a private conversation with British students fromXi'an'sNorthwest University during astate visit to China in 1986, Philip joked: "If you stay here much longer, you'll go slit-eyed."[219] The British press reported on the remark as indicative ofracial intolerance, but the Chinese authorities were reportedly unconcerned. Chinese students studying in the UK, an official explained, were often told in jest not to stay away too long, lest they go "round-eyed".[220] His comment did not affectSino-British relations, but it shaped his reputation.[221] Philip also made comments on the eating habits ofCantonese people, stating: "If it has four legs and is not a chair, has wings and is not an airplane, or swims and is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it."[222] In Australia he asked anIndigenous Australian entrepreneur: "Do you still throw spears at each other?"[223]
In 2011 historianDavid Starkey described Philip as a kind of "HRHVictor Meldrew".[224] For example, in May 1999, British newspapers accused Philip of insulting deaf children at a pop concert in Wales by saying: "No wonder you are deaf listening to this row."[225] Later, Philip wrote: "The story is largely invention. It so happens that my mother was quite seriously deaf and I have been Patron of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf for ages, so it's hardly likely that I would do any such thing."[226] When he and Elizabeth met Stephen Menary, an army cadet blinded bya Real IRA bomb, and Elizabeth enquired how much sight he retained, Philip quipped: "Not a lot, judging by the tie he's wearing." Menary later said: "I think he just tries to put people at ease by trying to make a joke. I certainly didn't take any offence."[227] Philip's comparison of prostitutes and wives was also perceived as offensive after he reportedly stated: "I don't think a prostitute is more moral than a wife, but they are doing the same thing."[222]
Centenary
To mark the centenary of Philip's birth in June 2021, theRoyal Collection Trust held an exhibition at Windsor Castle and thePalace of Holyroodhouse. TitledPrince Philip: A Celebration, it showcased around 150 personal items related to him, including his wedding card, wedding menu, midshipman'slogbook from 1940 to 1941, Chair of Estate, and the coronation robes andcoronet that he wore for his wife'scoronation in 1953.[228][229]George Alexis Weymouth's portrait of Philip in the ruins of Windsor Castle after thefire of 1992 formed part of a focus on Philip's involvement with the subsequent restoration.[229]
TheRoyal Horticultural Society also marked Philip's centenary by breeding a new rose in his honour, christened "The Duke of Edinburgh Rose", created by British rose breederHarkness Roses. Elizabeth, as patron of the society, was given the deep pink commemorative rose in honour of her husband, and she remarked that "It looks lovely". A Duke of Edinburgh Rose has since been planted in the mixed rose border of Windsor Castle's East Terrace Garden. Philip played a major role in the garden's design.[230][231]
In September 2021, theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution honoured Philip by naming their newstate-of-the-art lifeboatDuke of Edinburgh. The tribute was initially planned to mark his 100th birthday.[232] In the same month, a documentary initially planned for his centenary was broadcast onBBC One under the titlePrince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, with contributions from his children, their spouses, and seven of his grandchildren.[233]
Down to Earth: Collected Writings and Speeches on Man and the Natural World 1961–87 (1988; paperback edition, 1989; Japanese edition, 1992),ISBN978-0-8289-0711-8
Survival or Extinction: A Christian Attitude to the Environment with Michael Mann (1989),ISBN978-0-85955-158-8
RMS Queen Mary 2 Manual: An Insight into the Design, Construction and Operation of the World's Largest Ocean Liner byStephen Payne, Haynes Publishing (2014)
The Triumph of a Great Tradition: The Story of Cunard's 175 Years by Eric Flounders and Michael Gallagher, Lily Publications (2014),ISBN978-1-906608-85-9
Philip held many titles throughout his life. Originally holding the title and style of aprince of Greece and Denmark, Philip abandoned these royal titles before he married and was thereafter created aBritish duke, among other noble titles.[49] Elizabeth formally issued letters patent in 1957 making him aBritish prince.[91]
Honours and honorary military appointments
Philip was awarded medals from Britain, France, and Greece for his service during the Second World War, as well as ones commemorating the coronations of George VI and Elizabeth II and the silver, gold and diamond jubilees of Elizabeth.[237] George VI appointed him to theOrder of the Garter on the eve of his wedding on 19 November 1947. Since then, Philip received 17 appointments and decorations in the Commonwealth and 48 from foreign states. The inhabitants of some villages on the island ofTanna, Vanuatu,worship Philip as a god-like spiritual figure; the islanders possess portraits of him and hold feasts on his birthday.[238]
Presenting the3rd Battalion with their regimental colours as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment in Toronto, 2013
From 1949: Quarterly: First: Or semée of hearts gules, three lions passant in pale azure ducally crowned or (forDenmark), Second: Azure a cross argent (forGreece), Third: Argent two pallets sable (for Battenberg and Mountbatten), Fourth: Argent upon a rock proper a castle triple towered sable masoned argent windows port turret-caps and vanes gules (forEdinburgh).[247]
Supporters
Dexter, asavage crowned with a chaplet of oak leaves girt about the loins with a lion skin and supporting in the dexter hand a club proper (from the royal Greek arms); Sinister, a lion queue fourché ducally crowned or and gorged with a naval coronet azure (based on Battenberg arms).[247]
The arms of Denmark and Greece, as well as Mountbatten, represent the Duke of Edinburgh's familial lineage. The arms of the City of Edinburgh represent Philip's dukedom. The naval crown collar alludes to Philip's naval career.
Previous versions
Before 1947: "Coat of arms as a Greek & Danish Prince;Arms of Greece surmounted by aninescutcheon of the lesser arms of Denmark; the shield ensigned with a princely coronet of crosses pattée and fleurs-de-lis."
During 1947: "Arms of Greece surmounted by aninescutcheon of the arms of Denmark; and over all in the first quarter the arms ofPrincess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, viz, theRoyal Arms differenced with alabel of three points argent, the middle point charged with a rose gules and each of the others with an ermine spot."
From 1947 to 1949: "Arms of Greece surmounted by aninescutcheon of the arms of Denmark; and over all in the first quarter the arms ofPrincess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, viz, theRoyal Arms differenced with alabel of three points argent, the middle point charged with a rose gules and each of the others with an ermine spot. The shield is encircled by the Garter and ensigned with a princely coronet of crosses pattée and fleurs-de-lis, above which is placed a barred helm affronte, and thereon the crest; out of a ducal coronet or, a plume of five ostrich feathers alternately sable and argent. The supporters are, dexter, the figure of Hercules proper, and sinister, a lion queue fourché ducally crowned or, gorged with a naval coronet azure."[249]
In 1993 scientists were able to confirm the identity of the remains of several members of the Romanov family, more than seventy years aftertheir murder in 1918, by comparing theirmitochondrial DNA to livingmatrilineal relatives, including Philip. Philip, Alexandra Feodorovna, and her children were all descended from Princess Alice through a purely female line.[251]
Ancestors of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh[252]
^abPhilip was born on 10 June 1921 according to theGregorian calendar. Until March 1923, Greece used theJulian calendar, in which his birth date was 28 May 1921.
^The DanishAct of Succession 1953 removed the succession rights of his branch of the family in Denmark.[7]
^The amount was set by the Civil List (Increase of Financial Provision) Order 1990. It was initially set at £40,000 in theCivil List Act 1952, raised to £65,000 by theCivil List Act 1972, and raised to £165,000 by the Civil List (Increase of Financial Provision) Order 1984.
^InEngland and Wales, "old age" may be given as acause of death for a decedent aged 80 or older by a doctor who has "cared for the deceased over a long period" and "observed a gradual decline in [the] patient's general health", if there is no known "identifiable disease or injury that contributed to the death".[183]
^The elderly retired butler quoted in theGuardian article was mistaken: the Queen and the Duke visited the White House in July 1976, during the term ofPresident Ford, notPresident Carter.[210]
^Gill, Peter; Ivanov, Pavel L.; Kimpton, Colin; Piercy, Romelle; et al. (February 1994), "Identification of the remains of the Romanov family by DNA analysis",Nature Genetics,6 (2):130–135,doi:10.1038/ng0294-130,PMID8162066,S2CID33557869
Dolby, Karen (2015),The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II, London: Michael O'Mara Books
Eade, Philip (2011),Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II, New York: St. Martin's Griffin,ISBN978-1-250-01363-7
Hamilton, Alan (1985),The Royal Handbook, London: Mitchell Beazley,ISBN978-0-85533-566-3
Tågholt, Knud (1963),Det glücksburgske kongehus, fra Christian IX til prinsesse Margrethe: Den danske kongeslægt gennem hundrede år, 1863–1963 (in Danish), Aros
1 Not a British prince by birth, but createdPrince Consort.2 Not a British prince by birth, but created a Prince of the United Kingdom. Princes whose titles were removed and eligible people who do not use the title are shown in italics.
1 Also prince of Norway 2 Also prince of Greece 3 Also prince of Iceland 4 Also prince of the United Kingdom 5 Not Danish prince by birth, but created prince of Denmark Princes that lost their title are shown in italics
*Not Mountbatten or Battenberg by birth. Adopted the surname Mountbatten from his maternal line on abandoning his patrilineal Greek and Danish princely titles.
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