Prince Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, passed away on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99. He had been the husband of Queen Elizabeth II for over 70 years and was the longest-serving spouse of any British monarch. In Britain, flags were lowered to half-mast nationwide to grieve the death of the royal family.
A small gathering of 30 people attended Philip’s funeral on April 17, 2021, which was a subdued event due to the COVID-19 limitations. Typically, someone as important as Philip would have had a state funeral with at least 800 guests present, but this was not possible because of the current pandemic. The exclusive guest list of 30 individuals consisted mainly of immediate royal family members, such as Philip’s children and numerous grandchildren.
While Philip spent many years by the Queen’s side, a large part of his life remained unknown to the public. The Duke of Edinburgh retired from his official responsibilities as a royal in 2017 when he was 95 years old, stepping out of the public eye. He was known as one of the most active royals, completing over 22,000 solo appearances before scaling back.
The Duke of Edinburgh played a crucial role within the British royal family. Philip, born in Corfu, Greece, was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. As a small child, Philip and his family were compelled to leave their home and live in exile. To obtain Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, he gave up his Greek and Danish titles and adopted his mother’s last name, Mountbatten.
Until his death in 2021, Philip encountered and endured numerous significant moments and difficulties within the royal family. One of them included embracing Meghan Markle into the group. Continue reading to learn about Philip’s behavior towards her and uncover the unexpected nickname he gave her, which he only used when she wasn’t around.
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