Looking Back At Prince Philip's Remarkable Life & Love Story On His 102nd Birth Anniversary

Jun 10, 2023

Today, the late Prince Philip would have turned 102 years old. He and Queen Elizabeth were married for over 70 years, which landed him the title of the longest-serving spouse of any British monarch. His passing in 2021 left his family and nation deep in mourning. 

A statement released by Buckingham Palace on April 9, 2021, said, “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh." It continued, “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

In the months leading up to his death, Philip had been in ill health. Just nine weeks before he passed, the prince was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Feb. 16, 2021, on a precautionary basis since he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, he underwent surgery for a heart condition. Buckingham Palace released a statement following his March 16 release from the hospital that called the procedure “successful.”

Sadly, however, Philip passed away not long after. His burial took place on April 17, 2021, and due to pandemic restrictions, it was a much smaller service than had been planned, with only 30 members of the immediate royal family in attendance. This included the queen, her and Prince Philip's children — King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — and their spouses, the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry, who flew in from California and attended alone since Meghan Markle was heavily pregnant at the time.

Keep reading to learn more about Prince Philip's remarkable life and how he was honored by the royal family following his death.

Prince Philip's life was a truly remarkable one. Born on June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, Philip was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Despite his roots, the prince was primarily educated in Great Britain where he attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland and the Royal Naval College in England. 

Following his service in World War II — Philip was a pilot for the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and Pacific — he became a British subject, which meant he had to give up his claim to Greek and Danish royalty. That same year in 1947, Philip, then 26, married then-Princess Elizabeth who was 21, at Westminster Abbey. From then until Elizabeth’s crowning in 1953, Philip continued his military service with the Royal Navy as a commander of the Magpie, a frigate ship. 

“It’s easy to look at the military career of a royal male and see it as a rite of passage, but with Philip one needs to look beyond that,” said Ashley Jackson, a professor of imperial and military history of Philip’s military career. He added:

“This wasn’t a brief dalliance in the military. It’s important to note that he’s clearly an exceptional officer.”

Following Elizabeth's accession to the throne, Philip served as the consort to the queen and played an active role as a senior member of the royal family. Over the years he carried out 22,219 solo engagements, went on 637 solo overseas visits, gave 5,496 speeches and authored 14 books. 

Philip left behind a vast legacy of work with the royal family, but he also made an impact on other aspects too — including official policy and his family's name. Before he and Elizabeth got married, he was required to give up his titles and succession to the throne in Greece. He did so willingly and took on his mother's surname Mountbatten. Originally a German noble family, Prince Philip's grandparents changed their name from the original German version of "Battenberg" to an English translation when they adopted English nationality during World War I.

However, later on, he was unhappy that his children would not take his last name, so he protested this decision. Queen Elizabeth then issued a declaration in 1960 that "all the Queen's children, on occasions when they needed a surname, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor." This impact is still seen today, most notably with Prince Harry and Meghan's children — Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor — who went by their full names until King Charles III acceded the throne and bestowed them with royal titles.

Philip's other contributions to royal life included his unbounded duty to his beloved wife Elizabeth, as well as his well-loved sense of humor. Philip's grandson Harry described him as a "legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end."

In 2017, at the age of 95 and after 64 years of service, Philip retired from his royal duties and removed himself from the public eye.

After his retirement, his health deteriorated. In 2018, he underwent hip surgery ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding, and less than a year later, he was also in a car accident, which led him to voluntarily relinquish his license 

Following Philip's death in 2021, Queen Elizabeth announced a period of mourning that lasted two weeks. Sadly, her 95th birthday on April 21, 2021, coincided with this time. It was the first that she celebrated without her beloved husband in her seven-decade reign. 

In tribute to Philip, a memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022. The queen attended and was accompanied by her son Prince Andrew, while her family and other members of the royal family were also in attendance. The event was much larger in scale than Philip's funeral, which was only attended by around 30 people due to pandemic restrictions. The memorial had 1,800 people in attendance, including representatives from many of the Duke of Edinburgh's charities. 

The prince was well known for his many personal projects during his lifetime including The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) — a youth program originally designed to offer an alternative to the Boy Scouts. It was not necessary to officially join any association, and the participating children didn't need to wear a uniform. Nowadays, the program is present in 144 countries and offers youths of both genders chances at self-improvement by offering classes in sports, arts, physical or social skills, volunteer work, or expeditions, that is, spending time in nature. The DofE award offers different programs for youths aged 14 to 25.

Prince Philip was an extraordinary man who not only had many public achievements but also private ones too. In a tender moment, the queen once said of her husband:

"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years." 

After Elizabeth's passing on Sept. 8, 2022, Philip was interred and buried with his wife at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the royal couple rests alongside King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.   

Our thoughts are with the royal family on the day that would have been Prince Philip's 102nd birthday. What do you think about the late prince's contributions to the world? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to let others know about Prince Philip's life.