Drama
Persona in this post which might help a little:
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His Royal Highness,
The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
The Duke
of Edinburgh and his wife, The Queen – need no introduction: I hope!
Prince Andrew
of Greece and Denmark (1882 – 1944), was the Duke’s father and brother to the
King of Greece, King Constantine – he married:
Princess
Alice of Battenberg (1885 – 1969), later Princess Andrew of Greece and
Denmark. She was a great granddaughter
of Queen Victoria and had been born at Windsor Castle.
Admiral
of the Fleet Louis Mountbatten (1900 – 1979), known as Lord Mountbatten, was a
great-grandson of Queen Victoria and had strong influence among the royals.
++ -- ++
Background to Prince Philip’s life …
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Panoramic view of Old Town Corfu: it is on the
north western edge of Greece; the island is in the Ionian Sea |
The Duke was born 10th June 1921 in Corfu (Greece) he
became Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich and father
of the heir to the British throne …
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| Mon Repos, where the Prince was born |
Life didn’t start too badly in a lovely house in Corfu; his
father, Prince Andrew, was in Athens to command an army division embroiled in
the Greco-Turkish War (1919-22) … things went badly for Greece, and King
Constantine was forced to abdicate.
A revolutionary court banished Prince Andrew from Greece for
life … the family was evacuated, with Prince Philip being carried in a cot made
from a fruit box – they went to France.
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Prince Andrew in 1913
portrait by Philip Laszlo
(the Duke's father) |
His parents’ marriage was disintegrating, and in 1933 aged 12
he was sent to Germany to the Schule Schloss Salem in Southern Germany …
He had watched while his parents’ lives unravelled … his
mother turned to God, being incarcerated for some years with schizophrenia,
while his father sank to the earthly solace of the gambling tables: the Duke
did not have an easy childhood … his emotional abilities being severely
curtailed.
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Princess Alice in 1903
(the Duke's mother) |
A member of the House of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, Philip was born into the Greek and
Danish royal families: now please study
European history! – also don’t rely on me as being definitively correct!
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Salem Abbey c 1765
Baden Wurttemberg |
The educator Kurt Hahn, who started the Schule Schloss with
support from Prince Maximilian of Baden in 1920 … was Jewish but under the Nazi
regime was forced to emigrate to Scotland … founding the British Salem School
of Gordonstoun – hence Prince Philip’s educative years were spent there … and
then other members of the Royal family attended … some thrived in the Outward
Bound type of school … others not so well.
Prince Maximilian’s son, Berthold, married Princess Theodora,
daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of
Battenberg. Prince Berthold thus became the
brother-in-law of the Duke of Edinburgh.
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| Windsor Castle and part of the Great Park |
The Duke’s family, including his mother, Princess Alice, were now based in Britain on the Windsor
estate … while other family members still lived in Denmark, Germany and Greece …
His four elder sisters had married German noblemen, moved to
Germany … complicating matters further …
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| Gordonstoun School logo |
After leaving Gordonstoun in 1939, Prince Philip joined the
Royal Navy, graduating the following year from the Royal Naval College,
Dartmouth, as the best cadet in his course.
During the 2nd World War he continued to serve in
the British forces, while two of his brothers-in-law fought on the opposing
German side.
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| Australians stoking boilers |
He served valiantly and was acknowledged, yet duties of lesser
glory also beckoned … including stoking the boilers of a troop ship.
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Prince Philip in naval uniform - when he was
resident in Malta 1949 |
He was an exceptional student … being promoted to Commander in
1952; he had completed his naval career in July 1951 – after King George VI,
his father-in-law’s, death in February that year.
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King Christian IX -
by Henrik Olrik |
Prince Philip and the Queen are second cousins once removed through
King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through Queen Victoria; while
they had met in 1934 and 1937 at family ‘dooos’!
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| Naval College at Dartmouth |
They met again at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July
1939 – the Queen was 13, the Prince was 18 ... and they began to exchange
letters. The romance flourished – no
doubt encouraged by Lord Mountbatten, who was very ambitious for himself, but
also for his charge, his nephew – Philip.
Lord Mountbatten was known as His Serene Highness Prince Louis
of Battenberg … his sister, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, who was the
unfortunate lady banished from Greece with her husband (Prince Philip's parents).
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| Frogmore House |
Lord Mountbatten was born at Frogmore House on the Windsor
estate … where the family dropped their German styles and titles. He was
an uncle to Prince Philip, while also a second cousin once removed to Elizabeth
II.
Lord Mountbatten’s role in the affairs of the Royals was quite
extensive, especially as he was related and had a distinguished service career in the Navy and
Governmental administration – being admired by some, not so keenly by others.
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| Lord Mountbatten |
Mountbatten as Commander of the destroyer HMS Kelly in 1939
was at Dartmouth Navy College for the visit of King George VI and his family …
asked the Duke of Edinburgh to escort and entertain the two princesses, while
their parents were taken round the ship: the trap was set …
Elizabeth was hooked … and when she was 21 after the end of
World War II, their engagement was announced.
It was a wee problem
… Philip had no financial standing, he had been stateless after being exiled in
his cot from Greece, was foreign-born (though a British subject, who had served
in the Royal Navy), but had sisters married to German noblemen with Nazi links.
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| Newlyweds in 1947 |
He apparently was impeccably polite and the Queen Mother said
that he was ‘an English gentleman’ … before the marriage he renounced his Greek
and Danish titles, converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and adopted
the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten
… taking the surname of his mother’s British family.
Just before the wedding in 1947 he was created Duke of
Edinburgh and granted the style His Royal
Highness.
++ -- ++
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| Coronation 1952 |
A is for the Accession, on 6 February 1952, of his wife, then
Her Royal Highness, The Princess Elizabeth, when she became Her Majesty The Queen
of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.
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In their film they had a good choice
of foods ... but cooked simply and
with salads etc ... |
B is for BBQ … the Duke loves to barbecue … stoking the coals
readying for the actual cooking of whatever is on offer. He loves his food and will eat anything …
except oysters while on public duty.
C is for Childhood and Corfu … he finds it difficult to show
loving emotion – something that goes back to that difficult childhood … for
someone of Prince Philip’s background difficult to change and adjust to …
D is for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme … which was
based on one of the schemes started by Kurt Hahn at Gordonstoun … to help
youngsters from all walks of life achieve in all forms of activities –
physical, life skills to expeditions - and to offer them hope for their future.
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Taken for the Queen's 90th birthday
this year - at Windsor |
D is for Dogs – or not … as the Duke really does not like the
Queen’s Welsh corgis!
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| Loves his Event Riding |
E is for the Equestrian Event of Carriage Driving … a sport
the Duke took up after he gave up polo.
He began driving ponies, before progressing to Cleveland Bay
horses. He has been competing since
1973.
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Old Elizabethan Recipes - whether he
would have this in his cookery library I'm
unsure - but definitely a Mrs Beeton, and a
Larousse - and probably BBQ books |
F is for Food … he is fond of good food and has a large
selection of cookery books in his library.
He enjoys a half of lager rather than wine.
G is for Greece and Gordonstoun … and the apes of Gibraltar – the terminology that he used to described
the media!
H is for the Queen’s handbag, which contains only her specs
and a lipstick, while the Duke carries a driving licence, credit cards and a
passport.
… and for Helicopters … he’s given up flying those, but will
still take the fixed-wing aircraft up and bring it down when it’s time to land
…
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| Rocks are building blocks |
I is for Indefatigable, Intelligent, a man of Integrity, Industrious,
Irascible, sometimes Intolerant … a mix of all things good for her Majesty – he
is her rock.
J is for Joy … their marriage has been extremely successful –
he’s had to adapt … and despite walking two steps behind his wife, as protocol
requires …
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The Queen and her heirs - Prince Philip being the father,
grandfather and great-grandfather (and Prince Consort) |
... has created many necessary projects for himself … overseeing the
royal properties; setting up charities; touring and encouraging others.
One man was ecstatic – Lord Mountbatten … the
schemer, who was creating a dynasty through the marriage.
K is for not the King – the husband of a queen is known as a
Prince consort …
L is for Laptop … during the journey in the aircraft under “H”
above … he will retire to the back of the plane where he can work at his desk
on his laptop.
... L is for Languages … the Duke speaks English and French, has a
spattering of German, but very little Greek …
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| Battenberg Castle |
M is for Mountbatten – which is the surname Prince Philip took
from his mother’s family … in preparation for his marriage to the Queen.
N is for Name … with the Queen’s accession, it seemed probable
that the royal house would bear her husband’s name, becoming the House of
Mountbatten, in line with the custom of a wife taking her husband’s surname on
marriage.
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Punch Cartoon 1917
"A Good Riddance" - sweeping away
the German titles held by the members
of his family |
Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, and the Queen’s
grandmother, Queen Mary, favoured the retention of the House of Windsor – this
was confirmed. The House of Windsor had
been founded by Queen Mary’s husband, King George V, in 1917 … when the King
changed the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor.
The Duke, perhaps understandably – as he hadn’t, at that stage,
adjusted to all the protocols of royal life – complained, “I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his
own children.” Queen Mary died in 1953,
and Churchill resigned in 1955 … the way was open for a change – in 1960 the surname
Mountbatten-Windsor could be and has been used by some of the Queen’s children and
grandchildren.
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Prince Philip in one of
his studies |
O is for Occupied … always occupied, always busy, always
interested and always involved … he has a positive mental attitude, stays
cognitively and physically active, which seems to have maintained him for his
95 years.
... O is for Outspoken and Opinionated … he may casually be
outspoken and make controversial remarks … but they are usually made with a
twinkle in his eye … with laughter following on …
P is for Patron … of over 800 organisations and serves as
Chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme for young people.
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| The Queen at breakfast |
... P is for Professional … everything he does he approaches from
a knowledge base, having briefed himself extremely well.
... P is for Painting Landscapes in oils … as he withdraws from
‘executive responsibilities’ he is finding more time for this hobby.
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| Having a good laugh |
Q is for Her Majesty, ‘the Queen’ – his wife … ‘Lilibet’ as he
calls her …
R is for Radio – their marriage ceremony was broadcast
throughout the world by radio. It was
the Duke who insisted that the Coronation of the Queen should be broadcast over
the new medium, that is television – and which in the 21st century
has been digitally enhanced, so we can see it in colour: a forward thinking
Duke.
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Princess Anne with her father - she is a
chip off the old block (and the equestrian in the
family - while her daughter Zara is also an
accomplished horse-woman) |
S is for Sports … the Duke loves his sports … he gave up polo
in 1971, taking up carriage riding, which he continues to this day. He also shoots grouse, preferring that to
stalking, or fishing on the River Dee while in Balmoral.
S is for Science and Technology ... for Consorts of Queens apparently: Prince Albert also thought forward ... the same impulse for the future that 70 years later, the next Prince Consort embraced.
Prince Philip has been tireless in his promotion of British industry, British engineering and British Science. He has always kept himself up to date with scientific progress ...
T is for Time Wasters – he cannot tolerate those … Princess
Anne has the same tendencies …
U is for Upheaval of his early life, but U is for Union of the
Queen and the Prince –that mutually comfortable couple.
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This green van is in Copenhagen ... used for
sweeping up after the horses used in Parades |
V is for Van – a little green electric one made for the Duke
so he can be driven to his London engagements. I think the Duke would be amazed at this particular van ... for sweeping up the horse droppings for the Danish Royal family and court.
W is for Windsor and the other estates: Sandringham and
Balmoral … which Prince Philip runs.
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| The edge of Balmoral Castle |
Balmoral has recently been re-wired and re-plumbed; there are 7,500
acres of forestry that need constant management and a fold of 30 Highland
cattle.
The extensive kitchen garden
grows flowers, fruit and vegetables for the house: whatever’s not used is frozen
or made into jam at the end of the season.
… and W for Work – he never stops working … he is president or
an honorary member of 850 organisations and attends more than 500 public
functions every year.
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| Gordonstoun School's Yacht |
X is for the unknown forward years … which have turned out
well …
Y is for Yachts … Seamanship has been a main part of the
curriculum since the school began – the Duke’s early sea days … leading to his
ultimate title of Commodore ...
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| Zara Phillips - the Duke's granddaughter |
Z is for Zara Phillips –
the Duke’s daughter’s (Princess Anne's) child … Zara attended Gordonstoun School;
when she married Mike Tindall … she wore the Meander tiara – the tiara belonged
to her great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
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| The happy couple |
That is an ABC on His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh as we usually know him ...
Her Majesty's Rock ... and I'm sure he is ... on hand at all times to help her, be with her, and share the things that make up life.
A very happy birthday to the Prince on his 95th birthday on Friday 10 June ... and to many continued years together ...
NB no post (phew you all say!) til the 26th ... when I might have connectivity or not - as the case may be after the move ...
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
