Prince Philip: A Life of Extraordinary Accomplishments
PA MEDIA
The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was often known for his blunt humour and politically incorrect comments, which sometimes caused embarrassment. However, his death provides an opportunity for a reassessment of his life, which was marked by fascinating contrasts and contradictions.
Born into European royalty, he was forced to move from country to country in his early years and was left virtually penniless by the time he went to boarding school in Scotland. There, he developed a love for the sea and a passion for community service, which he pursued throughout his life. He also embraced modernity and warned about the impact of consumerism on the environment well before it became fashionable. Overall, Prince Philip was a complex, clever, and eternally restless man who lived an extraordinary life intimately connected with the sweeping changes of the 20th century.
Philip believed that discipline and self-control were essential to freedom, which he expressed in his speeches later in life. He also placed importance on individual agency and decision-making, which he learned at Gordonstoun but had little of due to the strict traditions and hierarchy of the navy and the Palace. His passion for the sea collided with his love for Princess Elizabeth, and after their marriage, he had to sacrifice his naval career. He regretted not continuing his career but fulfilled his duty as the Queen's consort. Although he celebrated masculinity and grew up in a male-dominated world, he became a part of a female-dominated world overnight when Elizabeth became Queen.
Philip struggled with his transition to life in the palace and felt isolated due to his difficulty in forming friendships and his German heritage, which led some to suspect him of being a fortune hunter. To compensate for this, he threw himself into a lifetime of activity, travelling with the Queen, pursuing his interests in sport and science, and undertaking numerous patronages and projects. He was a moderniser within the Palace and took over the management of the estate at Sandringham, redeveloping it significantly over the years. He was a conservative but also an environmentalist, and he frequently gave speeches on a vast range of topics reflecting his many interests. He often did himself down and had a self-deprecating sense of humour, despite his reputation for rudeness and saloon-bar boreishness in his later years.
Major General Charles Stickland of the Royal Marines, to whom Prince Philip was Captain General for 64 years, recounted an incident when the Duke flew into a military exercise in Norway. Although he was supposed to have a formal lunch with the commanding officer after greeting the enlisted men, Prince Philip instead sat on a rucksack and chatted with the troops, asking two corporals to spoon food into his mess tin. His unconventional approach to hierarchy and preference for larger groups over intimate gatherings were typical of his character.
Due to his position, desire for privacy, and the passing of those who knew him best, a complete understanding of Prince Philip will always be elusive. His character was marked by contradictions and contrasts that emerged over the years, and Sir Hugh Casson described him as a "mercurial man" who required a "loose-fit portrait."
When asked what his life was about, Prince Philip replied that it was "absolutely, absolutely" about supporting the Queen, and he did not see himself as a leader despite his ability to lead. He downplayed his accomplishments, and when accepting the Freedom of the City of London in 1948, he spoke for himself and other "followers," stating that their only distinction was their willingness to do what they were told to do to the best of their ability.
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