Name/Title
1986 - Signed Official Portrait of Field Marshal H R H Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, (1921-2021) - Colonel of the Grenadier Guards (1975-2018)Description
Field Marshal H R H Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, (1921-2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch, having held the position from 1952 until his death in 2021. He was also the oldest ever male member of the British royal family, having died at the age of 99.
Born in Corfu on 10 June 1921, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, and Princess Alice of Battenberg. His father escaped from Greece after the Greco-Turkish War in 1922, and they lived in Paris. Philip was sent to school first at Cheam in England, then to Germany at Schule Schloss Salem, and finally to Gordonstoun. In 1939 he joined the Royal Navy and passed out at Dartmouth as top cadet. He had four sisters who were married to German nobility so that during the war he had two brothers-in-law fighting on the other side. He was on active service on ships throughout the war.
On 20 Nov 1947 he married HRH Princess Elizabeth after meeting her at Dartmouth when Elizabeth was 13 (he was 18). Philip had become a naturalized British subject in March 1947 with the name Mountbatten, having relinquished his princely title. He was made Duke of Edinburgh on the day of the wedding. He carried on his naval career but that ended in 1951. King George VI died on 6 Feb 1952 and Elizabeth became Queen. Philip was resentful that the royal surname was to be Windsor and not Mountbatten. In 1956 The Prince founded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award along with Kurt Hahn. In 1957 his princely status was restored. He was Colonel of the Grenadier Guards from 1975 until 2018.
VISITS TO CANADA
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort to Queen Elizabeth II, participated in a number of official tours of Canada during his lifetime, with his first tour occurring in 1951, accompanying his spouse, Princess Elizabeth. He made more than 70 visits to Canada, including 20 royal tours with Queen Elizabeth II. He travelled to Canada on his own on 46 occasions, typically as a private working tour where he served as a patron for awards and events such as the Commonwealth Study Conference and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
The Duke of Edinburgh visited Canada on two occasions to open two multi-sport event, the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and the 1967 Pan American Games. The trip was one of many visits to Canada the Duke made without the Queen. Other visits without the Queen occurred in 1960, 1962, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1998, as he was chairing the Commonwealth Study Conference, hosted in Canada during those years. He also made 11 trips to Canada in relation to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The Duke also made several visits relating to his role with the Armed Forces. He was appointed the colonel-in-chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment on 8 December 1953 and presented the 3rd Battalion's first colours on Parliament Hill in 1973.Created By
Zarina CarlevarisCreate Date
August 18, 2022Updated By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Update Date
May 6, 2025
