Prince Philip - Learn More About His Remarkable Life
His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh lived a remarkable life of public service, putting aside his ego to support his wife and her role. A descendant of Queen Victoria (yes, he and The Queen are distant cousins), he was born in Greece, as his family were members of the Greek and Danish royal families. He was educated all over Europe, eventually settling in the UK and joining the British Royal Navy when he turned 18. He served in WWII with distinction and after the war, abandoned his Greek and Danish titles to marry the then Princess Elizabeth. He left active military service when Elizabeth became the Queen, and went on to become one of the hardest working royals, attending 22,219 solo engagements, with more than 800 patronages before he retired in 2017. He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch and the longest-living male member of the British royal family.
His life is fascinating, from his family and their various roles in WWII (they were on both sides), his relationship with The Queen and role as the real rock in her life, his passion for sports and the environment (he was a co-founder of the WWF), and the Duke of Edinburgh award, which is given to young people in the UK who complete a series of tasks and give them a sense of community and responsibility. He was also hilariously stoic and matter-of-fact - he actually is not going to get a state funeral because he did not want big fuss made over him, which speaks volumes about his character and priorities.
There is a lot to unpack here, so we have pulled together some of the best books, articles, interview and more to help you learn more if you are interested.
Prince Philip - Learn More About His Remarkable Life
Watch
BBC Interview with Prince Philip to mark his 90th Birthday
The first televised interview with a royal on any topic - Prince Philip speaking about vocational training.
1969 Interview with Barbara Walters for The TODAY Show
Read
Books
Prince Philip by Philip Eade ( I found this in our grandmother’s house a few summers ago, and devoured it - so much great detail on his early life and how all of European royal families are connected!)
Prince Philip Revealed by Ingrid Seward
Articles
Town & Country article to celebrate his 99th birthday
A Photo from Every Year He Was a British Royal (this one is amazing!!)
A BBC Overview of his Life and Work
