6 Fun Facts About Prince Felipe.
He is primarily known for being the husband of Queen Elizabeth II and the father of Prince Charles, yet Prince Philip (officially the Duke of Edinburgh) also has a fascinating life story worth knowing.
For example, Prince Philip's paternal grandfather was Prince William of Denmark (until he was elected King George I of Greece), and King George's sister married the future King Edward VII. In addition, Prince Philip was sixth in line to the throne of Greece before meeting Queen Elizabeth II, and decided to renounce his Greek royal title to then be naturalized British.
But that is not all! Here are six additional facts about The Duke of Edinburgh that you probably did not know:
1. He was born in Corfu
The Duke of Edinburgh was born on the island of Corfu as Prince Philip of Greece. His family lived in the country residence of the British High Commissioner for the Ionian Islands. However, in 1922, when the prince was just 18 months old, they were forced to leave the island after the royal family in Greece was exiled.
2. He renounced his Greek royal title in 1947
After meeting the then Princess Elizabeth, Felipe decided to become a naturalized British citizen, so he changed his last name to Mountbatten (his mother's maiden name).
3. He is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria
Both Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria! In fact, the prince is the eldest great-grandson of the former queen, and while Queen Elizabeth is a direct descendant of Victoria's eldest son (King Edward VII), the duke is a descendant of the queen's second daughter (Princess Alice). .
4. he is a painter and author
Although Prince Felipe may seem like a boring and quiet guy, he is actually an art lover and enjoys painting and writing during his free time. It was after meeting the famous English artist Edward Seago that the Prince developed a particular interest in painting oil landscapes. In addition, Felipe has also written books on birds, the environment, carriages, and a wide variety of other topics.
5. Collect royal cartoons
Believe it or not, Prince Philip is actually a passionate collector of cartoons about politics and royalty (including several of those drawn by Carl Giles), which he proudly displays at his Sandringham residence.
6. He has made more than 5,000 speeches in his lifetime
According to recent estimates, Prince Philip has made an average of about eight official speeches per month during the last 58 years, we are talking about 5,000 speeches during his entire life! There are even those who believe that if all of his speeches were gathered in one place, they could occupy a shelf about a yard apart.
