Profile of the Day: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

We’re sad to hear of the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99. The longest-serving consort of a British monarch, Prince Philip was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years.

Image: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh / Nationaal Archief

The Duke of Edinburg was born on June 10, 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu. He was the fifth child born to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. A year after Prince Philip was born, his uncle, King Constantine I of Greece, was forced to abdicate the throne. The family was banished from Greece and settled in France. As a child, he was sent to live with his maternal grandmother, Victoria Mountbatten, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, at Kensington Palace and later, he served in the Royal Navy.

In 1947, Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was broadcast on the radio to over 200 million people around the world. Five years later, Elizabeth would ascend to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI. In 2017, Prince Philip retired from his royal duties. Married for 73 years, the Queen has described Philip as her “strength and stay.” He passed away peacefully on the morning of April 9 at Windsor Castle.

RIP Prince Philip, Duke of Edinbrugh.

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