Prince Philip, the longest-serving British royal consort, dead at 99
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, lived a fascinating — and rare — life at the forefront of British public life, influencing a wide variety of businesses.
He is the longest-serving and living consort in British history, and he was Queen Elizabeth II's greatest supporter during her rule.
He's arguably been less well-known in recent years, though his notorious appearance in the Netflix series "The Crown" by actor Matt Smith propelled him to public notice in a version heavily skewed against him.
Similarly, the British media appeared to concentrate on his inflammatory remarks and alleged gaffes, overshadowing his other accomplishments. Since he had no fixed position within the British constitution, it was up to him to carve out a part for himself.
Prince Philip was a supporter of a number of businesses in the fields of engineering, construction, design, chemistry, and aeronautics. He was a charismatic fundraiser who chaired a commission for the Queen's Award to Industry.
His life has been meticulously recorded. On June 10, 1921, he was born a prince of Greece and Denmark on a kitchen table in Corfu. He was the successor to the Greek throne until the birth of ex-King Constantine in 1940. (after his uncles and father). He was raised as a minor member of that family and went into exile with them in December 1922, where they lived in Paris, detached from their royal positions and with little income.
Princess George of Greece (Marie Bonaparte), whose vast wealth came from her grandfather, François Blanc (made from gaming in Homburg and Monte Carlo), and Edwina Mountbatten, granddaughter of Ernest Cassel, who had substantial investments in banking, mines, and heavy industry, paying for Prince Philip's education.
Lord Louis Mountbatten, his uncle, was ambitious on his behalf and played a key role in transforming him from a minor Greek prince in exile to a British naval officer. Throughout World War II, Prince Philip was a brave soldier.
He had never had any capital of his own, but after marrying Princess Elizabeth in 1947, his financial fortunes changed. He was able to afford his mother an apartment in Athens when she became queen in 1952 and later said that, unlike most other citizens, he did not have to work. He was able to seek other goals as a result of this. To relieve pressure on the queen, he took over the royal estates of Windsor, Balmoral, and Sandringham.
He saw it as his primary responsibility as consort to serve her, and he never hesitated to do so. When he wasn't needed, he worked on a variety of other programs, including those related to the military, education, his award scheme, youth enterprises, and charitable causes.
Many of them were interested in commerce, either directly or indirectly: Prince Philip was a modernizer who searched out wealthy entrepreneurs and business leaders to advise him. One such figure was the eminent chemist Harold Hartley, with whom he debated a variety of topics, including how businessmen and statesmen had no interest in visiting Australia when praising New Zealand's welfare state. He was inspired by Hartley to start the study conferences at Oxford, which focused on factory workers' living conditions.
He gathered a gathering of wealthy Canadians at Buckingham Palace for a fundraiser a few years ago, welcoming them with the question, "So—are you muppets going to put your hands in your pockets?" This piqued their interest, and they complied. His speeches drew a larger audience than they would have if he had been a naval officer. On a state visit to Paris with Queen Elizabeth, he delivered a divisive speech to the Chamber of Commerce, leading the ambassador, Christopher Soames, to distance himself by describing it as "very much his own."
In all he did, Prince Philip used military (or even naval) logic. If he took on a job, he put his heart and soul into it and saw it through. He enjoyed a good debate and never saw anything at face value. He had the impatience of a man ready to put his plans into action. He has an uncanny ability to detect stupidity and arrogance. He had a strong disdain for CEOs who swooped in to give slick speeches during royal visits, and he liked to catch them off guard if they hadn't perfected their brief. The complete scope of his accomplishments can be known only after an official biographer has access to his well-kept archive.
In a remarkable life, he was ahead of his time on climate change and environmental matters, and he was the forerunner of his son, Prince Charles', several interests. He, like Queen Elizabeth, didn't waste time thinking about what others thought about him; instead, he focused on his work. His position in British history was one-of-a-kind and never to be replicated.
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