The Royal Household sparked fervent speculation after calling a press conference at 10 o’clock this morning. But, despite several outlandish theories flying around social media, the news was simply that the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, is to step down from public engagements from this Autumn. And, at 95 years of age, the news is hardly a surprise.
The royal has lived an extraordinary life – a former Navy commander, he is now patron of over 800 charities, and currently undertakes a staggering 300 public engagements a year. Blessed with a razor-sharp humour, the Duke is well known for his so-called ‘gaffes’, but the longest consort in British history is a royal icon, a loving husband and a committed father. Here, we celebrate what made Prince Philip such a stellar royal, and why he’ll be sorely missed in the public eye…
Gentlemen can be judged by the way they treat their staff, and the Duke offered a glimpse into his character during a visit to the White House in 1979. After dinner with President Nixon, a butler – Lynwood Westray – offered the Duke a drink. The Prince replied ‘I’ll take one if you’ll let me serve you’, before pouring Champagne for the butler and spending the evening drinking with him.
One of the Duke’s favourite lines – repeated at Lord’s yesterday – is that he’s the ‘world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler’. Although, despite this self-appointed accolade, he’s not always that enthusiastic in his duties. A trip to Canada in 1969 saw the Prince say, ‘I declare this thing open, whatever it is…’
The Duke of Edinburgh is worshipped as a God by the Yaohnanen Tribe on the Pacific Island of Tanna. The Tribe believe that the Duke is a divine being who emerged from a volcano – as you do. Whilst this may sound peculiar; the Duke respects his followers – visiting some of them in 1974 and subsequently exchanging gifts with their leaders with respect and courtesy.
Part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s appeal is his wit which, whilst often funny, has been perceived as derogatory at times – particularly when it’s at the expense of foreigners. He once asked a Scottish driving instructor how he ‘keeps the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test’, famously told some British students in China that if they stayed there ‘much longer’ they’d ‘all be slitty-eyed’ and asked an Australian if they still ‘throw spears at each other’. Given the diplomacy of the younger royals, it’s likely these gaffes will leave with Philip.
The Duke’s devotion to his wife is well known, but other women have been at the hard end of some of his quips. He famously suggested that ‘British women can’t cook’, asked a Kenyan lady whether she was actually ‘a woman’ and joked that ‘when a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife’.
Despite embracing public appearances, when the press and public begin to encroach irreversibly on his life, the Duke of Edinburgh has been known to become irate. On seeing a photographer fall out of a tree during a visit to India the Duke said he ‘hoped he breaks his bloody neck,’ whilst he famously once told a Caribbean nurse: ‘You have mosquitos, I have the Press’. The prince’s desire for privacy even led him to purchase a London Taxi in which he was able to drive around London incognito until March this year.
The Duke struggled to find a ‘niche’ upon marrying the then-Princess Elizabeth. He gave up his successful Naval career, and eventually working out his place in the world through ‘trial and error’. And that place was as the most charitable royal in history. Amongst the thousands of organications the Duke has helped, arguably his most successful venture has been the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, which gives purpose to thousands of young people across 144 countries.
Prince Philip is decidedly uninterested in celebrity – stating that it would be easy to be caught up in the fame of being a Royal. Indeed, he’s been vicious to other celebrities, once wishing that Elton John’s microphone would be ‘turned off’ during a concert. Separately he wondered how Sir Tom Jones became ‘immensely valuable by singing what are the most hideous songs’ and notably asked if he would ‘need ear plugs’ before a performance by Madonna.
The Prince swore to be the Queen’s ‘liege man of life and limb’ at his wedding, a commitment he has kept. Although he once complained he was the ‘only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his children’, the Duke has been steadfast in support of his wife during 69 years of marriage. He is – as he puts it – ‘The fella that belongs to Mrs Queen’, whilst the Queen has described the Duke has her ‘strength and stay’.
Although known for his acerbic put-downs, the public saw a softer side to the Duke in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death. Philip told a grieving Prince William, who was nervous about walking behind his mother’s coffin: ‘if you don’t walk, I think you’ll regret it later’ before asking ‘If I walk, will you walk with me?’
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