Prince Philip

Prince Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh - Prince of Greece and Denmark (1921-1947), grandson of King George I of Greece, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Brief Biography

Prince Philip was born on June 10, 1921, at the Mon Repo Palace on the island of Kerkyra (Corfu) in Greece.

He was the fifth child of Prince Andrew, son of King George I of Greece. In addition to Philip, there were four girls in the family. He was baptized according to the Orthodox rite.

Since 1922, Philip's family was expelled from Greece and settled in Paris.

From 1928 Philip lived with relatives in London.

From 1933 to 1935 he studied at school in Germany and afterwards in Scotland.

In 1940, he graduated from the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England.

He served in the Navy throughout World War II.

It was at Dartmouth that Philip met Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, who were his fourth cousins. They came to college with King George VI.

Philip and Elizabeth began a correspondence that developed into an affair. In 1946, Philip formally asked the king for permission to marry the princess.

The engagement was announced on 10 July 1947, and the wedding took place on 20 November of that year in Westminster Abbey.

Before the wedding, Philip converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism and also gave up the titles of "Prince of Greece" and "Prince of Denmark," accepting British citizenship. In return, King George VI granted Philip the title Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron of Greenwich.

In 1952, after the King's death and Elizabeth II's accession to the throne, he became the reigning monarch's consort.

Thereafter, Prince Philip dedicated himself to the service of the royal family. Among other things, he was the patron of 800 organizations.

From 1981 to 1996, he was president of the World Wildlife Fund.

Prince Philip and black humor

The media often drew attention to Philip's jokes, which sometimes bordered on the limits of propriety. For example, in Scotland, he asked his driving instructor how they managed to get drivers not to drink long enough to pass their test.

Also, when King Elizabeth II asked a blind boy how much more he could see, Philip pointed to the child's tie, noting that "judging by the color of the tie, very little.

He also said that Britain does not need to promote tourism because it is the same as prostitution.

Prince Philip's health

In 2011, Philip underwent coronary stenting after complaining of chest pains. That same year, he announced his intention to reduce his social functions.

In April 2018, the prince underwent surgery on his hip, which had suffered a fall during a carriage ride in 2010.

In 2019, Philip was involved in a rollover accident, but was not badly hurt.

In early 2021, Philip spent about a month in the hospital due to malaise. He was later transferred to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where his treatment continued. At the same time, he underwent heart surgery.

He did not finally return home until mid-March.

Death of Prince Philip

On April 9, 2021 it became known that Prince Philip had died. He would have turned 100 years old in June 2021.

He would be buried in Frogmore Gardens on the grounds of Windsor Castle.