Field Marshal H R H Prince Philip


Born in Corfu on 10 June 1921, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, and Princess Alice of Battenberg. His father escaped from Greece after the Greco-Turkish War in 1922, and they lived in Paris. Philip was sent to school first at Cheam in England, then to Germany at Schule Schloss Salem, and finally to Gordonstoun. In 1939 he joined the Royal Navy and passed out at Dartmouth as top cadet. He had four sisters who were married to German nobility so that during the war he had two brothers-in-law fighting on the other side. He was on active service on ships throughout the war.

On 20 Nov 1947 he married HRH Princess Elizabeth after meeting her at Dartmouth when Elizabeth was 13 (he was 18). Philip had become a naturalised British subject in March 1947 with the name Mountbatten, having relinquished his princely title. He was made Duke of Edinburgh on the day of the wedding. He carried on his naval career but that ended in 1951. King George VI died on 6 Feb 1952 and Elizabeth became Queen. Philip was resentful that the royal surname was to be Windsor and not Mountbatten. In 1956 The Prince founded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award along with Kurt Hahn. In 1957 his princely status was restored. He has been Colonel of the Grenadier Guards since 1975 and on ceremonial occasions wears their full dress uniform whilst Charles, Prince of Wales wears the uniform of the Welsh Guards.


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