Prince Consort Philip

Greek-British Consort to Queen Elizabeth II who served in the British Navy during World War II and is a pilot-Captain General of the Royal Marines. He is also an enthusiastic yachtsman and polo player, and known for his concern for wildlife conservation. Philip is notorious in the media for colorful verbal gaffes. No one, public or private, is safe from his volcanic temper and withering wit. Born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, he is the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, and great grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark. Philip adopted the family name of Mountbatten when he renounced his royal title in 1947 and became a naturalized British citizen. He is related to many of Europe's royal families. The prince and Queen Elizabeth both have Queen Victoria as a great-great-grandmother, and are second cousins once removed. He was educated at schools in France, England and Germany, and attended Gordonstoun School which all three of his sons also attended. In 1939, he left Gordonstoun and joined the Royal Navy as a cadet. He was appointed Commander of the Frigate HMS MAGPIE in 1952, but ended his naval career with the death of his father-in-law, King George VI. Philip married then Princess Elizabeth of England on 11/20/1947 at Westminster Abbey. In April 1952, the Queen made the Duke of Edinburgh a Knight of the Thistle. In February 1957, he was made a prince of the United Kingdom, being known from then on as "Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh." Though he has no official role in the monarchy, it is said that he has assumed the strong hand of raising Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. As manager of the royal estates, he computerized the Sandringham and Balmoral royal residences, and his own study is said to look "like the cockpit of the Concorde." A patron of some 800 organizations, Philip has played a prominent part in many aspects of British national life. His special interests are in scientific and technological research, the encouragement of sports, and conservation and the environment. He was the first President of World Wildlife Fund-UK from its formation in 1961 to 1982, and International President of what later became the World Wide Fund for Nature from 1981 to 1996. He is now President Emeritus of WWF. At the age of 79, he fulfilled a staggering 557 official engagements and he has delivered, on average, seven speeches a month for 50 years. Prince Philip was admitted to the hospital on April 4, 2008 with a chest infection and was released two days later. Link to Wikipedia biography