Prince Philip: The Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh died aged 99 on the morning of April the 10^th. He was the Queen’s consort which meant he had to support the queen and one of the most loved and inspiring British royals.

He was born Prince of Greece and Denmark on the 10^th of June 1921 but exiled a year and a half later to Paris. He was the youngest child and had 4 sisters. He, like the Queen, was also a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. He then moved to Scotland and attended Gordonstoun school and then worked in the Navy. Just 2 years after World War 2 he married Queen Elizabeth.

When he married Queen Elizabeth II on the 20^th of November 1947 they had a big celebration with 2,000 guests. Winston Churchill described it as “a flash of colour on the hard road we travel”. However, none of his sisters was allowed to attend because they all married to Germans with Nazi links. A year later their eldest son, Charles was born followed by Anne. Meanwhile, Prince Phillip was progressing rapidly through the ranks of the Navy. They had a quiet, peaceful life away from the royal palace and duties. Their lives changed when the queen’s father, King George VI suddenly died and Queen Elizabeth was made Queen. This was when Price Philip was made the Queen’s consort. It meant he had to leave his ambitions in the Royal Navy. 

Prince Philip did lots of public services; he was a patron of almost 800 different organisations. One of his most notable is the world wildlife fund of which he was the founder and international president for 15 years. He was very passionate about the conservation of wildlife. He also set up the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, giving children the chance to have experiences and challenge themselves mentally and physically through non-academic activities. Outside of public services, he was a keen sportsman and played polo, cricket, carriage riding, and many others. He was also famous for his jokes.

In 2007, they became the first couple in the Royal family to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary and in 2017, Prince Philip retired from public life. 
After being sick for a while, he died, on April the 10^th. His family has been visiting and it is said to be an “ideal opportunity” to end any royal rifts. Many people have been deeply touched by his death and the Queen in deep mourning. Many world leaders and royals, most notably people like Jacinda Arden, Joe Biden, Boris Jhonson, and Barack Obama, have paid tribute to the Duke. Gun fires have been shot and flags flew at half-mast. A scaled-back funeral will be held in accordance with coronavirus guidelines and the Duke’s wishes to have a funeral with “as little fuss as possible”.