It is with great sadness that the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been announced today by Buckingham Palace. Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was 95 years old at the time of his death. He died peacefully at Windsor Castle this morning with Her Majesty at his side.
A member of the royal family since he married Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, Prince Philip worked tirelessly in support of British causes around the world and was a patron to over 800 organizations before his death today.
Early Life
Born on the 10th of June 1921, Prince Philip ascended to the throne as Duke of Edinburgh, becoming consort to Queen Elizabeth II. He was born at Mon Repos Estate on Corfu, one of three children to Princess Alice of Battenberg and Lt. Col.
Andrew Nicholas Louis (Tommy) Mountbatten, who was killed in action in 1941 during World War II. His mother’s family had a claim to the Greek throne.
World War II
Prince Philip served in the Royal Navy during World War II. He fought at the Battle of Cape Matapan and helped sink the Italian battleship, the Giulio Cesare.
Following his time in the navy, he continued to work for naval intelligence operations for 15 years. His most important task was spying on Russian activity during the Cold War.
Marriage to Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Philip was born in Corfu on 10 June 1921, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (later King George II) and Princess Alice (later Queen Alice). He became the Duke of Edinburgh following his brother’s accession to the throne in 1952.
On 21 November 1947, he married Princess Elizabeth – the future Queen Elizabeth II – at Westminster Abbey. They went on to have four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. After nearly 23 years as consort to the monarch – the longest such period in British history – he retired from public life in August 2017.
His decades-long commitment to philanthropy reflected a keen awareness that all lives had equal value. During WWII he saw active service with Royal Navy.
Longest Serving Consort in British History
Prince Philip died on September 10th, 2017 at the age of 95. He was the longest-serving consort in British history as well as Queen Elizabeth II’s sole remaining male consort following the death of Prince Charles’ father, King George VI, in 1952.
As well as this distinction, Prince Philip was known for his sense of humor which he often demonstrated through anecdotes about life behind closed doors at Buckingham Palace. Prince Edward who is 8th in line for the throne tweeted:I am deeply saddened by my grandfather’s death.
