Prince Philip

1921-2021. Late husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Family Background

Prince Philip was born in Corfu, Greece, on 10 June 1921. He was the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Thus, Prince Philip received the title 'Prince of Greece and Denmark'. On his father’s side, he has Danish roots and on his mother's side, he has German and British roots (Brendon & Whitehead 125; http://www.royal.gov.uk/).

Childhood/Adolscence

Prince Philip had a very turbulent childhood after his parents had got divorced in 1930. He spent his early years with many of his European relatives, and was finally adopted by his uncle Lord Mountbatten. Mountbatten raised his nephew very strictly. Philip attended the “spartan academy of Gordonstoun” (Brendon & Whitehead 125).

Military Career

After school, Philip became member of the Royal Navy. (Brendon & Whitehead 125; http://www.royal.gov.uk/). Turning out to be very talented, he won the prestigious King’s Dirk and the prize for best cadet of his entry. During his naval career Prince Philip joined HMS Ramillies in Colombo as an Midshipman in 1940, patrolled the Indian Ocean escorting troops from Australia to the Middle East, and was transferred to HMS Valiant, a battleship stationed in Alexandria. Back in England, he attended some necessary technical courses and became a crew member on HMS Wallace, a destroyer engaged in escort duties on the east coast of Scotland, where he became First Lieutenant. After having served in the Royal Navy during World War II he returned to Britain in January 1946.

Philip became a British subject in 1947. Indicating his Englishness, Philip adopted his uncle’s name “Mountbatten” as his new family name. From now on he was Prince Philip Mountbatten and no longer Prince Philip “Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksberg” (Brendon & Whitehead 126). He also renounced his right to the Greek and Danish throne.

Wedding

Prince Philip caught a first glance at the then princess Elizabeth when he was at the Royal Navy. Her father, King George VI, did not like him but reconciled with Prince Philip before the wedding. Shortly before the wedding, Prince Philip was given the titles ‘Duke of Edinburgh’, ‘Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich’ and he was allocated the rank of ‘Knight of the Garter’ by King George VI. On 21 November 1947 Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey. The wedding was kept secret and equipment had to be kept in limits because of scarcities traced back to the aftermath of the 2nd World War. (Brendon & Whitehead 125, 126; http://www.royal.gov.uk)

Miscellaneous

When Elizabeth II acceded to the throne in 1952, Prince Philip, as her husband, took a secondary role beside her. As with many who are "the husband or wife of a ruler" (Wehmeier 325), Prince Philip often had to struggle for public attention (Brendon & Whitehead 132). He asserted that his family name will remain, and as a result all descendants who “were neither Royal Highnesses nor Princes or Princesses” will have the family name “Mountbatten-Windsor” (Brendon & Whitebread 133). Furthermore, Philip was a very moody father, being both very caring and dominant at the same time (Brendon & Whitehead 197, 198).

According to the official website endorsed by Buckingham Palace, Philip's most successful initiative has been the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme launched in 1956. It has enabled millions of able-bodied and disabled 15- to 25-years-olds the world over to challenge themselves physically, mentally and emotionally by practicing a range of outdoor activities designed to promote teamwork, resourcefulness and a respect for nature.

Prince Philip is also known, if not infamous, for his off-hand insulting remarks. One of the most classic examples can be found in the Prince telling British exchange students living in China not to stay too long, lest they should return "slitty-eyed" (Hough). In the same year of 1986 he reportedly also said that "if it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and flies but is not an aeroplane and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it" (ibid.). Another gaffe dating from 2002 (Leach) emerged when it was recounted on the Graham Norton Show by the mother of one of the recipients of the Prince's observational commentary: “My son was blind and the Queen asked him how much sight he had left and the Duke of Edinburgh said not a lot, judging by the tie he was wearing” ("Episode 10").

Prince Philip's verbal missteps have made him somewhat of a cult figure to the public, with his quips generally seen as "memorable" (Hough) and euphemistically termed "unique advice" (ibid.). Stephen Menary, wearer of the offending tie, takes a rather sympathetic view: "I know he has a reputation for making seemingly offensive remarks but I don't think there's any malice in what he says. He meets people that are often very nervous about meeting him [...] and I think he just tries to put people at ease by trying to make a joke. I certainly didn't take any offence" (Leach).

Sources

• Brendon, Piers & Whitehead, Philip. 1994. The Windsors: A Dynasty Revealed. London, Sydney and Auckland: Hodder & Stoughton.
• Dampier, Phil. Duke of Hazard: The Wit and Wisdom of Prince Philip. [Place??]: Book Guild, 2006.
• “Episode 10.” The Graham Norton Show, Series 6. BBC. First broadcast 7 Dec 2009. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buN3s1MN9J4. [at 41:07]
• Hough, Andrew. “Prince Philip's best gaffes “.The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 15 July 2015. Date accessed 12.01.2017. URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-philip/9883276/Duke-of-Edinburghs-best-gaffes.html.
• Leach, Ben. “Duke of Edinburgh gaffes by mocking blind boy”. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 14 Dec 2009. Date accessed 12.01.2017. URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/6805975/Duke-of-Edinburgh-gaffes-by-mocking-blind-boy.html.
• The Official Website of the British Monarchy. "The Duke of Edinburgh". London: Buckingham Palace 2008/09. http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/TheDukeofEdinburgh/TheDukeofEdinburgh.aspx
• Wehmeier, Sally (ed.). 2005. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Wende, Peter, ed. Englische Könige und Königinnen der Neuzeit. München: Beck, 2008.