Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away on Friday at age 99. The prince married Queen Elizabeth II five years before she became queen. But when she was crowned, he did not receive the title of king. This is because Prince Philip, who is actually a former prince of Denmark and Greece, was never in line with the British throne.
Prince Philip is married to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 and she became queen in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. She later gave her husband the title prince.
This title was not a small one for Prince Philip – he did not have to be called king or prince. His title was Duke of Edinburgh until 22 February 1957 when the palace issued a statement: KT, GBE, the style and title of a prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Whitehall. ‘
The queen therefore gives her husband a princely title when she takes the crown – but why not king?
A woman who marries the king may be called a queen, but for men who marry the monarch, there are different rules. They cannot use the title of king because it is only given to men who inherit the throne, according to BBC News.
Therefore, the couple’s eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, will receive the royal title when he holds the post. Their other children: Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward will retain these titles.
Prince William, the son of Prince Charles and the grandson of the Queen, is next in line for the royal title, followed by his eldest son, Prince George.
Giving Prince Philip his title is not the only unique name decision the queen takes. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip decided to distinguish themselves from royals in the past, who did not use surnames. They started using a hyphen: Mountbatten-windsor, Mountbatten from Prince Phillip’s grandparents.
According to BBC News, Prince Phillip has asked for this name change. “I am the only man in the country who cannot give his children to his children,” he said when Queen Elizabeth II was persuaded to keep Windsor, BBC News reported. “I’m nothing but a bloody amoeba!”
Thus, the children and grandchildren of the Queen can use Mountbatten-Windsor as of – when necessary. Royals, however, did not really use much for surnames; they have had titles long enough, such as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.
Prince Philip might not have been king, but he was constantly on his wife’s side and was the queen’s companion, starring to support her. He is the longest-serving company of any British monarch, and according to BBC News, he completed more than 22,000 solo engagements when he retired from his royal service in 2017.