Prince Philip, a man whose duty to his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, was only surpassed by his duty to Britain’s army, died on Friday at the age of 99.
The Duke of Edinburgh had been married to the Queen for more than 70 years, but his service in the British navy preceded his relationship with the future monarch: Philip joined the Royal Navy in 1939 at the start of World War II, only a teenager at the time.
He initially served on the HMS Ramillies and soon after moved to the HMS Valiant and then to the HMS Wallace. He was a searchlight control officer and played an important role against Italian forces.
In this file on December 12, 1963, British Prince Philip delivers a speech before handing it over to Jomo Kenyatta, Prime Minister of Kenya, during the ceremony of independence at Uhuru Stadium in Nairobi. (AP Photo / Dennis Royle, file)
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Philip helped detect enemy artwork during the day and at night, often rescuing the vessels he served on.
In the dispatch of time, Philip is praised for his contributions to the Battle of Cape Matapan, during which allied forces sank five enemy vessels and killed more than 2,000 enemy officers, with only four sailors and four light vessels lost in exchange.
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Philip rose rapidly through the ranks and by 1942 achieved the rank of first lieutenant after the Battle of Crete. He was also present at the signing of Tokyo’s surrender in September 1945.
The duke was a perfectly military man: he was heavily decorated for his service in the war, including medals for bravery, but his service extends beyond the navy.
In this photo on December 9, 1961, British center-right Prince Philip looks at the Prime Minister of Tanganyika, Julius Nyerere, right during the ceremony to swear in the new Governor-General during the Celebration of Independence in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika. . (AP photo / file)
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His active service ended when the queen ascended to the throne in 1952, four years after their marriage. Philip did not take an active role in the royal family, but rather acted as a royal company – a role he held for longer than any other in British history.
Philip was appointed at various times to serve as Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, Chief Colonel of the Army Cadet Force and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps, reports Daily Mail.
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The Duke also held the post of Commander-in-Chief of a number of British and overseas regiments.
These roles encouraged him to train as a pilot at the RAF and complete just under 6,000 hours of flight time by the end of the 1990s flight.
In this photo on 8 June 1948, the Duke of Edinburgh, sitting next to Princess Elizabeth, admits the cheers of the crowd as the open Landau goes through Fleet Street on its way to the Guildhall in London. (AP photo / file)
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Philip only reveals frustrations about his diminished role during an interview in celebration of his 90th birthday, during which he said he struggles to find a role for himself.
“There was no precedent,” the duke told the BBC at the time. “When I ask someone, ‘What do you expect me to do?’ they all looked empty – they had no idea, no one had much idea. ‘
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He said it was naturally disappointing to give up his career, especially since he had just been promoted to commander at the time.
“But when I stop and think about it while I’m married to the queen, it seems to be my first duty to serve her in the best way I could,” he explained.
In this July 31, 1947 file, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, as he was then called, inspected the center, his men, at the Petty Officers’ Training Center in Corsham, England. (AP photo / file)
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Philip remained a supportive man, with court officials saying he was the only person who treated the monarch as a human being.
The Queen once said that Philip ‘was simple … my strength and all the years’.
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“I and his entire family, and this and many other countries, owe him a greater debt than he would ever claim, or we will never know,” Queen Elizabeth II said in her speech to her husband during a speech in celebration of their 50th marriage. anniversary.