The obituary of Prince Philip
He will be remembered for his charitable work, his dedication to public service and, of course, his mischievous and controversial sense of humor.
Phillip once jokingly referred to himself as “the world’s most experienced plaque unveiler.” But as a child born into the turmoil of interwar Europe and a naval officer decorated for heroism during World War II, the Duke of Edinburgh was an extraordinary figure in his own right.
Childhood and exile
Philip’s life was dramatic from the outset. The nephew of Greece’s King Constantine I, the Prince of Greece and Denmark was born in 1921 on the dining room table of a villa on the Greek island of Corfu.
He was forced into exile just 18 months later, when the Greek monarchy was overthrown by a military revolt. His family’s experience shaped Philip’s later desire to modernize the British Royalty, in the hope they would seem more relevant to the Queen’s subjects.
He was taken on board HMS Calypso, the British cruiser given the…
