People around the world have joined the British royal family in mourning the loss of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Philip passed away on April 9th, 2021 at Windsor Castle, according to a statement from Buckingham Place. He was 99 years old and was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years.
Prince Philip was born on June 10th, 1921 to Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg in Corfu, a Greek island. Due to his parents’ royal heritage, he was a prince of both Greece and Denmark. Prince Philip was also a descendant of Queen Victoria.
When he was only a year old, Greece started to experience tension and his uncle, King Constantine I, was forced to step down from the throne. Prince Andrew was banished from the country and the family left with Prince Philip in a box being used as a cot.
They eventually went to France and when Prince Philip was still a child, Princess Alice was sent to a psychiatric facility due to a mental collapse. He also did not see much of his father, who moved to another part of France. Maternal family members who lived in the United Kingdom took care of the prince. Prince Philip was able to speak both French and German and spent much of his time at a boarding school in Scotland as a teen. It was in 1934 that he met his future wife, Princess Elizabeth, at a royal wedding.
Prince Philip went on to attend the Britannia Royal Naval College, where he excelled and became top in his class. Princess Elizabeth, age 13 at this time, accompanied her father and sister on a trip to the school in 1939. Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth stayed in contact via letters for years after this meeting as Prince Philip also served in the British navy during World War II, becoming one of its youngest first lieutenants.
Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth became engaged in 1946 but did not share their engagement with the world until July of 1947. They were married that November at Westminster Abbey. Upon this union, Prince Philip chose to give up the royal titles that he previously held and was given the new titles, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.
He also took the last name of his mother’s family, Mountbatten. The couple went on to have four children together: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. They had eight grandchildren, including princes William and Harry, as well as ten great-grandchildren.
Prince Philip continued to serve in the navy during the early years of their marriage. By 1952, he had advanced to the position of commander but had to step down after the death of Princess Elizabeth’s father as she took on the role of queen.
Prince Philip became the Queen’s consort, eventually holding the position longer than anyone else. He supported Queen Elizabeth II in her royal duties and was often by her side as she made public appearances.
Prince Philip brought many changes around the palace amidst moving in. Servants no longer powdered their hair, the second kitchen that operated only for the royal family was reduced to one, and intercoms were placed throughout the palace to save servants from having to share messages. He also helped a larger variety of people meet Queen Elizabeth. Prince Philip also did small things for himself, such as carrying his own bags and making breakfast, rather than making servants do it for him.
The prince went on 22,191 individual engagements during his time as the Queen’s consort. He was also affiliated with over 780 organizations. Prince Philip traveled to 143 countries as well. In 1956, he established the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which rewards people ages 14-25 for volunteering, acquiring new skills, or exploring.
Prince Philip was an advocate for a healthy environment as well as wildlife. He switched to an electric car in the ‘60s to avoid spreading pollution. In 1961, he was named president of the World Wildlife Fund in the United Kingdom.
Prince Philip also had his pilot licenses and was the first royal family member to fly a helicopter from Buckingham Palace Garden. He enjoyed polo as well as carriage and boat racing, even taking part in competitions.
In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II gave Prince Philip the title Lord High Admiral upon his 90th birthday. He retired from his royal duties in 2017.
Rebekah Davidson
Intern