Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passes away at 994 min read
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In what can only be called a tragic day for the Royal Family, the British monarchy lost a prince, a husband, a father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on Friday morning. Prince Philip, whose other title is the Duke of Edinburgh, was 99 when he breathed his last.
Let’s look back on his long life as part of this week’s Rewind with Owliver.
It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.
Buckingham Palace
Philip’s father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his mother was Princess. Raised mainly in Great Britain, Philip served with the Royal Navy from January 1940 to the end of World War II.
The India connect
Prince Philip was connected to Louis Mountbatten, popularly as Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India during the British rule. Lord Mountbatten was the maternal uncle of Philip. Both were descendants of Queen Victoria, the famous 19th century British monarch.
On February 28, 1947, Philip became a British subject, renouncing his right to the Greek and Danish thrones and taking his mother’s surname, Mountbatten. His marriage to his distant cousin Princess Elizabeth, who later went onto become queen, took place on November 20, 1947. On the eve of his wedding, he was designated a ‘royal highness’ and was created a Knight of the Garter, Baron Greenwich, earl of Merioneth, and Duke of Edinburgh. The couple had four children – Charles Philip Arthur George, Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, Andrew Albert Christian Edward and Edward Anthony Richard Louis.
He served with the navy till Elizabeth became queen in 1952, after which he took care of his royal duties. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth conferred on him the dignity of prince of the United Kingdom.
A husband but never a king
Prince Philip was never in line for the throne – which his eldest son Charles (father to Princes William and Harry) stands to inherit – and never held the title of king. That’s because in the UK, a woman who marries the monarch can use the ceremonial title of queen – but men who marry the monarch can’t use the title king, which can only be used by male sovereigns. Males who marry a queen become ‘consorts’, and Philip was the longest serving one!
Giving back
While Prince Philip spent most of his life serving the navy, he was also engaged in a variety of philanthropic activities. He served as president of the World Wildlife Fund from 1981 to 1996, and his International Award program allowed more than six million young adults to get involved in community service, leadership development and physical fitness activities.
Owliver’s Obscure Observations
Prince Philip has been called one of the busiest royals, with with more than 22,000 solo appearances over the years. In May 2017, it was announced that he would stop making public appearances.
Saying goodbye
In tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey began tolling its tenor bell once every 60 seconds. It rang 99 times to honour each year of the Prince’s life. A 41-gun salute will take place for him in cities including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as in Gibraltar and at sea from Royal Navy warships. They will be broadcast online and on television for the public to watch from home.
Sources: CNN, BBC, Britannica, India Today
