Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Consort

Unlike the wife of a British monarch, there is no corresponding role for the husband of a reigning Queen. In compensation, the Queen allowed Philip a free hand in the upbringing of their children, allowing Philip to decide on their education and future careers.

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The accession of Elizabeth to the Throne brought up the question of the name of the Royal House. The Duke's uncle, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, had advocated the new name House of Mountbatten, as Elizabeth would typically have taken Philip's name on marriage. When Queen Mary, Elizabeth's grandmother, heard about this, she told Sir Winston Churchill who later advised the Queen to issue a proclamation declaring that the Royal House was to remain the House of Windsor. Philip bitterly remarked that he had been "turned into an amoeba".

Related Topics:
Royal House - Earl Mountbatten of Burma - Queen Mary - Sir Winston Churchill - House of Windsor

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In 1953, the Duke was given the titles Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force. This was in tune with the tradition established by Queen Victoria, who did not wish to take a military role that people of her gender could not normally assume (though she did not appoint her prince consort to these positions).

Related Topics:
1953 - Admiral of the Fleet - Marshal of the Royal Air Force - Queen Victoria

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The Duke of Edinburgh has supported the Queen in her role for the past fifty years. The Queen and Duke attend state visits abroad, and receive foreign dignitaries together. The Duke often carries out his own separate engagements on behalf of the Queen at home and abroad.

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The Duke is also patron of many organisations. He established the Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1956 to give young people "a sense of responsibility to themselves and their communities". The scheme now operates in 100 countries around the world. He has also been the President of the World Wide Fund for Nature despite having been an enthusiastic hunter of rare species.

Related Topics:
Duke of Edinburgh Award - 1956 - World Wide Fund for Nature

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In 1956-1957, the Duke took a round-the-world voyage on board HMY Britannia, visiting the remote islands of the Commonwealth.

Related Topics:
1956 - 1957 - HMY ''Britannia'' - Commonwealth

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On the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, the Duke was commended by the Speaker of the House of Commons for his role in supporting the Queen during her reign.

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One of the most controversial aspects of the Duke were his relationship with his daughters-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York. He was alleged to have been hostile to Diana after her divorce from the Prince of Wales. The owner of Harrods, Mohamed Al-Fayed, even suggested in court that the Duke was responsible for ordering Diana's death, remarks that led the Duke and the other members of the Royal Family to rescind their Royal Warrants from Harrods.

Related Topics:
Diana, Princess of Wales - Sarah, Duchess of York - Harrods - Mohamed Al-Fayed - Royal Warrant

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