The life and legacy of the Duke of Edinburgh | Adam James Pollock
All of us at the Orthodox Conservatives group were deeply shocked and saddened upon hearing the tragic announcement of the death of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh earlier today, Friday, 9th April.
Irrefutably one of the most important individuals in recent British history, both for his tireless devotion to Her Majesty The Queen and his selfless public service as an initial outsider to the country which became his home, Prince Philip has been steadfast throughout his life in the service of others.
From his early life in exile from Greece, the young Philip took solace in the British Navy, graduating from Royal Naval College, Dartmouth with great commendation as the best cadet in his course, during which time he took up correspondence with the young Princess Elizabeth.
Beginning an active and distinguished military career, he continued to serve in the British Forces during the Second World War, being involved in the battles of Crete and Cape Matapan among others, as well as the Allied invasion of Sicily, during which his role as second in command of the HMS Wallace has been widely regarded as integral in saving the ship from being bombed. Many British naval historians maintain the view that Philip could very well have achieved the rank of First Sea Lord, had he not become a member of the Royal household.
After the war, in 1946, Philip asked King George VI for his daughter’s hand in marriage, and subsequently abandoned his Greek and Danish royal titles to become a naturalised British citizen. At his marriage to Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey in 1947, Philip, now styled as His Royal Highness, swore his loyalty to the future Queen, that he would do his duty as her ‘liegeman’.
Upon her coronation, Prince Philip took up his role as consort of the Queen and acted with honour, loyalty and an admirable strength of character for the remainder of his life in all of his duties. In 1956, he founded the Duke of Edinburgh Award as a way for young people to learn more about themselves and the communities to which they belong, and is still to this day viewed with excellency as a worthwhile way for young people to develop personal responsibility. Among myriad other roles, Philip has been the International President of the World Wildlife Fund, President of the International Equestrian Foundation, and patron of around 800 other organisations, including the British Heart Foundation.
As of April 2009, Philip had been the longest-serving royal consort in British history and continued with his active royal duties until 2017; his number of solo public engagements totals over 22,000, a staggering number highlighting his steadfast dedication to the country which he came to call his home.
A keen sportsman, Philip played polo for most of his early life, as well as maintaining a keen interest in yachting. In addition to this, he was an eager pilot, racking up over 5,000 pilot hours by the date of his 70th birthday.
At his golden wedding anniversary celebrations, the Queen Elizabeth celebrated the importance he had played in supporting her role as monarch, noting that “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.”
We should do well to remember these words in our mourning of His Royal Highness and respect the considerable work that he has carried out in dedicated service to Queen, country, and the Commonwealth. Our thoughts are with his family and all those who mourn him today. May he rest in peace. God Save the Queen.
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