Prince Philip (1921-2021)

Philip was born into the Greek and Danish royal families on June 10, 1921. He died on April 9, 2021, two months before his 100th birthday.  He was born in Greece, but his family was exiled from the country when he was eighteen months old. After being educated in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, he joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, aged 18. From July 1939, he began corresponding with the thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth, whom he had first met in 1934. During the Second World War he served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets. After the war, Philip was granted permission by King George VI to marry Elizabeth. Before the official announcement of their engagement in July 1947, he abandoned his Greek and Danish titles and styles, became a naturalised British subject, and adopted his maternal grandparents' surname Mountbatten. He married Elizabeth on 20 November 1947. It is interesting to note that for a few years, from 1949 to 1951 Philip and Elizabeth lived in Malta when he was serving in the Navy (residing at Villa Guardamangia, which is presently being restored by the Government) after being posted as the first lieutenant of the destroyer HMS Chequers, the lead ship of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet. On July 16th 1950, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and given command of the frigate HMS Magpie. On 30 June 1952, Philip was promoted to commander though his active naval career had ended in July 1951. Incidentally his barber Emmanuel Farrugia was also my barber, and I remember in his barbershop seeing the coat-of-arms of HMS Magpie, which he proudly displayed for everyone to see.

Prince Philip with Princess Elizabeth while residing in Malta, 1950.

He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch and the longest-lived male member of the British royal family. He retired from his royal duties on 2 August 2017, aged 96, having completed 22,219 solo engagements and 5,493 speeches since 1952. He had a special love for the wildlife as well as conservation, something which his grandchildren have followed through in their royal engagements. Known also as the Duke of Edinburgh, he encouraged many young people to be involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award which he launched in 1956, saying that education should be more than academic achievement, but also should include adventure, exploration, volunteering, and awareness of social issues. The award also encouraged physical activity, expedition, and other exploratory ventures. This is most probably his greatest legacy. Rest in Peace Philip.