Five Lesser-Known Intricacies About Queen Elizabeth II's Husband, Prince Philip

Apr 13, 2021 by apost team

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has died at age 99, according to an April 9 Buckingham Palace announcement. Having been married to Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years, he was the longest-serving spouse of any British monarch.

In Britain, flags around the country are hanging at half-mast in mourning of the royal family’s loss.

“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,” Buckingham Palace wrote in a statement posted online.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will (be) made in due course. The Royal Family join(s) with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, retired from his royal duties in 2017 at the age of 95, removing himself from the public eye. Before stepping back, he was considered one of the busiest royals, having had more than 22,000 solo appearances, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. However, since his retirement, his health has deteriorated. In 2018, he underwent hip surgery ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Less than a year later, Philip was also in a car accident, which led to him voluntarily relinquishing his license.

Just nine weeks ago, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Feb. 16 on a precautionary basis since he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, the prince underwent surgery for a heart condition.

Buckingham Palace released a statement following his March 16 release from the hospital that called the procedure “successful.”

Although Prince Philip has served by the Queen's side for decades, much of his life isn't public knowledge. Here are five facts about the Duke of Edinburgh you probably never knew.

He is a fundamental part of the British royal family, however, Prince Philip was born overseas in Corfu, Greece, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. When he was a young child Prince Philip was forced into exile with his family. In order to marry Queen Elizabeth, he renounced his Greek and Danish titles and took on his mother's maiden name of Mountbatten, according to Biography.

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Most royal couples are related somewhere down the line in order to maintain the bloodline. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth are third cousins, and are both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, according to Reader's Digest. 

Their love story began when 13-year-old Elizabeth developed a crush on the 18-year-old Prince Philip, who was a naval cadet at the time. The relationship truly blossomed when young Prince Philip saw young Elizabeth perform in the pantomime Aladdin in 1943 according to Biography. Their relationship continued to become stronger through the years and Prince Philip asked Elizabeth to marry him in 1946. 

In an oft-quoted speech on the date of the queen and Philip’s 50th wedding anniversary in 1997, the queen called her husband her “strength and stay.”

“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments,” the queen said. “But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”

The Duke of Edinburgh had quite a turbulent childhood. His mother had a mental health condition, and his father moved to the South of France. Prince Philip had four older sisters, all of whom married German princes. According to Refinery29, three of his sisters were alledged to have pro-Nazi views and affiliations. Although this was never proved, as tensions within Europe after WW2 were still high, it was not possible to risk inviting them to his wedding to the Queen.

As per royal tradition, the Queen's house name, which is the House of Windsor, becomes the surname of any descendants of the Queen who do not have an official royal title. Prince Philip was unhappy that his family would not take his last name so he protested this decision. The Queen issued a declaration in 1960, that "all the Queen's children, on occasions when they needed a surname, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor."

The Duke of Edinburgh is known to make the odd unconventional comment or joke now and again. On one occasion when meeting educational activist Malala Yousafzai (who was sadly shot in 2012 for standing up for education for women), the 98-year-old said, "[Children] go to school because their parents don't want them in the house," according to Express. Malala understood his sense of humor and laughed at the joke, but some of his more unsavory anecdotes have got him in trouble in the past.

Did you know these facts about Prince Philip? Do you know any others? Let us know and pass these fascinating lesser-known details on to friends and family members.