The news of Prince Philip’s decision to step down from royal engagements has elicited varied response. While some said it’s a much-deserved retirement, some went to the extent of declaring that he was dead. The fact remains that the Prince is 95. The Palace reports that this decision was his own and is wholly supported by the Queen and the royal family.
As the longest serving consort of the longest serving British monarch, the Prince has braved several storms in his 70-year royal engagement. His unusually difficult childhood saw his mother in a psychiatric sanatorium and the death of his siblings, Prince Philip was virtually orphaned by the age of 16. It was during this period that he met his uncle, Lord Louis “Dickie” Mountbatten, who would become his legal guardian. Lord Mountbatten was the last British Viceroy of India.
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Lord Mountbatten’s position in the Navy proved quite useful as Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy College and it was here that he met his future wife, the then Princess Elizabeth in 1939. He was 19 and she was just 13. A budding romance would ensue which saw them getting married in 1947.
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But, the union was not without its share of complications. As the sixth in line to the thrones of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip had to abandon his Greek and Danish titles and adopt the surname of Mountbatten and formalise his identity as a British subject with his joining the Anglican Church. He was bestowed the titles of Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Greenwich shortly before his marriage to the Queen.
The Queen officially ascended the throne in 1952 and the Duke of Edinburgh has been steadfast in his support through her reign.
But, why is Prince Philip a Prince and not King?
The answer has to do with the quirks of English common laws. While a wife traditionally takes her husband’s family name after marriage, titles within the royal family too work in a similar fashion. But, an exception is made when a female royal marries a man with a title, if any, that is below her own. She will retain the title while her husband will not be entitled to it. This is why Queen Elizabeth retained her style as Her Royal Highness even after her marriage as she was in line to the British throne.
Royal Highness Prince Philip has served as a force for change within the royal family. His efforts saw Queen’s Elizabeth’s coronation being televised, the first-ever such incident. In his time as the consort of the Queen, he has visited over 170 countries, delivered 5,000 speeches and has been associated with 780 charitable trusts and organisations. His flagship programme, Duke of Edinburgh Awards that was set up in 1956, has helped over 4 million youth and has improved community services around the world. It is widely regarded to be most effective of such youth programmes.