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​Prince Philip: 1921-2021

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle. He was 99.

His life spanned nearly a century of European history, starting with his birth as a member of the Greek royal family and ending as Britain's longest serving consort during a turbulent reign in which the thousand-year-old monarchy was forced to reinvent itself for the 21st century.

​A doting husband

Philip saw his sole role as providing support for his wife, who began her reign as Britain retreated from empire and steered the monarchy through decades of declining social deference and U.K. power into a modern world where people demand intimacy from their icons.

In the 1970s, Michael Parker, an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince, said of him: ``He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job _ first, second and last _ was never to let her down.''

The queen, a very private person not given to extravagant displays of affection, once called him ``her rock'' in public. In private, Philip called his wife Lilibet; but he referred to her in conversation with others as ``The Queen.''

​A crown so heavy

Philip's position was a challenging one--there is no official role for the husband of a sovereign queen--and his life was marked by extraordinary contradictions between his public and private duties. He always walked three paces behind his wife in public, in a show of deference to the monarch, but he was the head of the family in private. Still, his son Charles, as heir to the throne, had a larger income, as well as access to the high-level government papers Philip was not permitted to see.

Philip often took a wry approach to his unusual place at the royal table. ``Constitutionally, I don't exist,'' said Philip, who in 2009 became the longest-serving consort in British history, surpassing Queen Charlotte, who married King George III in the 18th century.

Photo: In this Sept. 1960 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and their children, Prince Charles, right, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, pose for a photo

Epitomising chivalry

Having given up a promising naval career to become consort when Elizabeth became queen at age 25, Philip was not content to stay on the sidelines and enjoy a life of ease and wealth. He promoted British industry and science, espoused environmental preservation long before it became fashionable, and traveled widely and frequently in support of his many charities.

``The way that he survived in the British monarchy system was to be his own man, and that was a source of support to the queen,'' said royal historian Robert Lacey. ``All her life she was surrounded by men who said, 'yes ma'am' and he was one man who always told her how it really was, or at least how he saw it.''

​In popular culture

The popular Netflix series ``The Crown'' gave Philip a central role, with a slightly racy, swashbuckling image. He never commented on it in public, but the portrayal struck a chord with many Britons, including younger viewers who had only known him as an elderly man.

Over the decades, Philip's image settled into that of droll and philosophical observer of the times, an elderly, craggy-faced man who maintained his military bearing despite ailments.