09 Apr

10 key dates in the life of Britain's Prince Philip

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Prince Philip
Prince Philip
Photo: Matt Dunham - WPA Pool / Getty Images
  • Prince Philip died on Friday, 9 April. He was 99 years old.
  • Prior to his death, he was admitted to hospital, but returned home to Windsor Castle four weeks later.
  • The palace said in an announcement, His Royal Highness "passed away peacefully in his sleep".


Britain's Prince Philip died on Friday at the age of 99.

"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," an announcement from Buckingham Palace read.

"His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

Here, we look at 10 key dates in the life of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband whom she described as her "strength and stay".

Birth

June 10, 1921: Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark is born on a kitchen table in Corfu. Aged 18 months, he was spirited out of Greece in an orange box when his uncle king Constantine I was forced to abdicate.

School

May 1939: In the run-up to World War II, Philip finishes his schooling at Gordonstoun in Scotland and joins the British navy.

Prince Philip
9th November 1947: The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.

War

September 2, 1945: Philip is present in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrender. He was mentioned in dispatches for his service during the war and took part in the battles of Crete and Cape Matapan and the allied invasion of Sicily.

Marriage

November 20, 1947: Philip marries princess Elizabeth, lifting some of the post-war gloom. Distant cousins, they met in 1939 and stayed in touch during the war. Having renounced his Greek and Danish titles, he is created the Duke of Edinburgh shortly before his wedding.

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, after their marriage, 1947.

Accession

February 6, 1952: King George VI dies and Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen Elizabeth II while in Kenya on a Commonwealth tour. Philip is forced to abandon his naval career.

Charity

1956: He launches the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, designed to teach youngsters self-reliance and public service. Millions of young people have since taken part.

Anniversary

November 20, 1997: Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. In a rare public tribute, she said: "He is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments. But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years."

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on the day of their 50th wedding anniversary in Westminster, London, UK, 20 November 1997.

Consort

April 18, 2009: He becomes the longest serving royal consort in British history, overtaking queen Charlotte, the wife of king George III.

Honour

June 10, 2011: The queen makes her husband the Lord High Admiral, the titular head of the British navy, to celebrate his 90th birthday.

Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh smiles during a visit to the Admiralty Board and Admiralty House on 23 November 2011 in London, England. The Duke of Edinburgh was inaugurated as Lord High Admiral as well as formally receiving the Letters Patent, followed by a lunch given by the First Sea Lord at Admiralty House.

Retirement

May 4, 2017: Buckingham Palace announces that Prince Philip will step down from public duties later in the year.

Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh raises his hat in his role as Captain General, Royal Marines, makes his final individual public engagement as he attends a parade to mark the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge, on the Buckingham Palace Forecourt on 2 August 2017 in London, England.
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