Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

HRH Prince Philip was born Philip, Prince of Greece and Denmark, on June 10th, 1921. After being exiled from Greece as a young child, Philip grew up in France, Germany and the UK, and joined the Royal Navy in 1939, serving in the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets during the Second World War. In 1947 he abandoned his Greek and Danish royal titles, taking the name Mountbatten from his maternal grandparents, so that he could marry Elizabeth, and was given the title Duke of Edinburgh. He left active military service when Elizabeth became HRH Queen Elizabeth II, and was later endowed with the title HRH Prince Philip.

He retired from royal duties in 2017, having completed over 20,000 solo engagements. During his long service as consort to the Queen he became patron to over 800 organisations, including being President of the World Wide Fund.

The Queen and Prince Philip had four children – Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex – as well as eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

 

Statement from the Bishop of Winchester

“Today we have lost a great statesman and a beloved member of our Royal Family. The Duke of Edinburgh will be remembered for his loyalty to his Queen and country. As the senior Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Prince Philip led others in exemplifying everything the Garter stood for in terms of outstanding service to the nation. This is a great loss for the country, for the whole Commonwealth, and above all for Her Majesty and the Royal Family; my thoughts and prayers are with them all.” – The Rt Revd Dr Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester

 

It has been requested that no physical books of remembrance be offered. Click here if you would like to add your message of condolence to a message board hosted by the Church of England