Title: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Full Name: Philip Mountbatten
Father: Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Mother: Princess Alice of Battenberg
Relation to Elizabeth II: Husband
Born: June 10, 1921 at Villa Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece
Current Age: 89 years
Married: Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey
Children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward
Philip was born Philippos Prince of Greece and Denmark on the Greek Island of Corfu in 1921. His father was Prince Andrew, younger brother of King Constantine of Greece, and his mother Princess Alice of Battenberg. He is a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria though his mother’s family.
When the Greek monarchy was overthrown in 1922, King George V sent a British navy ship to rescue them, and the young Phillip was carried to safety in an orange box. Living in Paris, Philip’s parent’s marriage broke down, so he left to attend school in England, Germany and Scotland.
Philip joined the Royal Navy in 1939 and saw active service during WW2 for the allies, despite having cousins in law fighting for the Axis powers. He fought in the Allied invasion of Sicily, and was present at the signing of the Japanese surrender in 1945. In 1947 he returned to Britain to become naturalised, adopt the name of Mountbatten, convert to Anglicanism and renounce his allegiance to the Greek crown – all in preparation of his marriage to Elizabeth. The ceremony provided a ray of light in post-war Britain and was recorded by the BBC. After the couples honeymoon, Phillip resumed his career in the navy and the young couple resided mainly in Malta.
In 1952 when Elizabeth ascended to the throne as Queen, Prince Phillip became her royal consort and resigned from the British Navy.
He has supported Elizabeth for over 60 years, with a seemingly endless stream of royal duties, state visits and occasions, and has visited every corner of the British Empire. The Duke is famous for his blunt and matter-of-fact manner of speaking due to his time in the Navy, but still manages to fulfill his very public role with loyalty and dedication.
He is the patron of many organisations to this day, including The Duke Of Edinburgh Award and the Worldwide Fund for Nature. His interests include flying, sailing, shooting and polo.