Prince Philip Biography

Most of Philip's early life was spent moving from home to home. In adulthood, he became an officer in the Royal Navy, when he married the then-Princess Elizabeth, in 1947.

Although he was born a prince of Greece and Denmark, he renounced those titles when he became a British citizen in 1947, and adopted the surname Mountbatten, an Anglicized version of Battenberg which came from his mother's side of the family.

On that occasion he was also created Duke of Edinburgh by his new father-in-law, King George VI. In 1957, he was given the title Prince Philip.

His full title is now HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.

Unlike Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, Philip was not given the title of Prince Consort. His children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, all share a surname of Mountbatten-Windsor, given to the children in honour of their father, by Queen Elizabeth, by an Order-in-Council in 1960. However, the Royal House name remains Windsor.

As consort to the Queen, Philip's responsibilities include supporting his queen in her duties as sovereign, and he is normally seen accompanying her to ceremonies including the State Opening of Parliament and overseas state visits. Philip is not only the longest-serving consort, but also the oldest serving spouse of a reigning monarch. He holds a number of royal titles, including Prince of the United Kingdom, which was bestowed upon him by the Queen in 1957.

Like other members of the royal family, Philip is linked to a number of charitable ventures through his patronage. He is either patron or president of 800 organisations covering a wide range of areas, including science, technological research and development, sport, welfare of young people and conservation and the environment. Over the course of his public life, Prince Philip has visited research stations and laboratories across the UK, as well as coalmines, factories, engineering works and industrial plants.

He was the first president of World Wildlife Fund - UK from its formation in 1961 to 1982, and international president of the organisation, which later changed to the World Wide Fund for Nature, from 1981 to 1996. His links with the body continue to date in his capacity as president emeritus. The Duke of Edinburgh is also associated with the UK higher education sector, having served as chancellor of the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Salford and Wales in the past. He is a life governor of King's College, London and patron of London Guildhall University.

Being an airman, Prince Philip boasts nearly 6,000 flying hours as a pilot through experience accumulated from 1952 to 1997. He is also patron of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of the British Empire and has been Master of Trinity House since 1969.

His successful career, role beside the Queen and commendable public engagements notwithstanding, Prince Philip is also famous for his knack for providing unsavoury gaffes. He is particularly known in Britain for regularly causing offence with bigoted comments whilst on public visits. For example, when visiting China in 1986, he told a group of British students that they had better not stay there too long or they would get "slitty-eyed".

Many more have been uttered over the years and one cannot rule out another gem during the upcoming wedding of his grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011.