Duke of Edinburgh

After proudly discussing our wonderful Queen in one of my Blogs, I hadn't realised that her Consort, the Duke of Edinburgh was nearing a record himself.

Prince Philip has become Britain's longest serving royal consort and has overtaken the record of 57 years and 70 days set by Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.

Although she is a record breaker, poor Charlotte did not have a happy time as Consort, because she had to look after her husband. George suffered from “madness” for a long period of his life, which is now believed to be porphyria. She remained supportive of her husband until her death on 17 November 1818, though she feared him every time she visited. George died, blind, deaf, lame and insane, fourteen months later.

Their lives are certainly not similar, and Prince Philip has worked tirelessly with his wife for the benefit of the UK, and the Commonwealth, since 1947. And, they have clearly been in love for many years, see below.

Philip was made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich by King George VI shortly before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth in 1947. The Queen made Corfu-born Philip a Prince of the United Kingdom 10 years later.

Even after so many years of service to the country, Prince Philip shows little sign of slowing down. He undertook more than 350 engagements in 2008, and is patron or president of some 800 organisations.

Well done, Philip. Keep up the good work.

How they got together:
Elizabeth—who was Philip's third cousin through Queen Victoria, and second cousin, once removed, through Christian IX of Denmark—fell in love with Philip and they began to exchange letters. Eventually, in the summer of 1946, Philip asked the King for his daughter's hand in marriage. The King granted his request providing any formal engagement was delayed until Elizabeth's twenty-first birthday the following April. The engagement was announced to the public in July 1947.

Louis Mountbatten urged Philip to renounce his Greek and Danish royal titles, as well as his allegiance to the Greek crown, convert from Greek Orthodoxy to the Church of England, and become a naturalised British subject, all of which was done by 18 March 1947. Philip adopted the surname Mountbatten from his mother's family. The day preceding his wedding, King George VI bestowed the style His Royal Highness on Philip, and on the morning of the wedding, 20 November 1947, he was made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London.

How complicated, but I suppose he did it for love (and safety!).