Prince Philip, a life in the shadow of the sovereign
Politically incorrect, sometimes downright unseemly in the eyes of the British, Prince Philip has nevertheless remained, in the eyes of Elizabeth II, the tall and handsome handsome blond with whom she fell in love over 80 years ago. The Duke of Edinburgh passed away this Friday morning at the age of 99.
He was a base, a shoulder, but also a strong character. Prince Philip, husband of the Queen of England, died this Friday morning at the age of 99. Throughout his life, he remained in the background, walking two steps behind the queen, eclipsed. She, a sovereign admired, respected, rigorous and sometimes introverted. Him, sociable, laughing, but also gruff and often blundering. If we know him much less than that of his illustrious wife, the course of the Duke of Edinburgh was marked by poverty then wealth, the abandonment of a family and the birth of a new one, the lack of attention. then unconditional, inalienable love. A free spirit that had to be tamed.
Exiled, then rickety from castles to mansions
Philip was born in 1921 on the family dining table on the island of Corfu, Greece. His family, which nevertheless descends from crowned heads, is penniless. In Greece, a coup d'etat sounded the death knell for the monarchy. Philip's father is arrested for a while, and the family is forced into exile. Philip, only one year old, is exfiltrated in a case of oranges, heading for Paris. The little boy, abandoned by his parents, is rambling in castles, lodged by acquaintances.
Detached from his closest family circle
Philip's chaotic family journey allows him to become multilingual. Just like his mother - yet totally deaf - who, by dint of exercises, managed to read everyone's lips. At 8 years old, Philip is deprived of this mother, diagnosed with schizophrenia and interned in a psychiatric hospital. His father is frolicking. The little boy, who already has little contact with his parents, now lives like an orphan.
Umpteenth trip for the young Philip: in 1933, he joined a boarding school in Germany. Her sisters already live in the country with their husbands: Germanic princes who will very quickly become Nazi dignitaries. Aware of their excesses, Philip cuts the ties and does not invite them, a few years later, to his marriage with Elisabeth.
Lord Mountbatten, the good fairy
The following year, the teenage prince arrived in Scotland, where he entered school "the hard way". He matures, becomes a seasoned athlete, and finally gets his head out of the water. His new guardian, his uncle Lord Mountbatten, becomes his model, the father figure he missed so much. Exuberant, socialite, and yet a commander in the Royal Navy, his influence with the young prince marked a turning point. It was to follow in his footsteps that Philip enlisted in his turn in the navy, in 1939. And it was Lord Mountbatten who was the first to consider making his protege the husband of the future Queen of England. As in the tales of Charles Perrault, he is a good fairy, benevolent and protective.
Elisabeth and Philip, "love at first sight"
In 1939, the royal family visited the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip was studying. He is responsible for escorting the king's two daughters, Elisabeth and Margaret, his distant cousins. Philip is 18, Elisabeth is only 13. But at first sight, the future queen falls in love with this handsome blond young man. Too young, he had to wait to live this passion. Eternal in love, Elisabeth "never looked at anyone else", assured Margaret Rhodes, cousin and confidant of the queen. In the meantime, World War II breaks out. Philip is mobilized, and becomes one of the youngest first lieutenants of the Royal Navy. His acts of bravery throughout the conflict earned him the respect of his brothers in arms. Upon his return, Philip began a close correspondence with Elisabeth. The handsome blonde has never left his thoughts, despite the advances of his many suitors.
The crowning of the queen, turning in the couple
In the summer of 1946, the one who was not yet a British subject asked the king for his daughter's hand. George VI accepts, but imposes to wait for the 21 springs of Elizabeth. On November 20, 1947, the nuptials were celebrated at Westminster Abbey. A little over four years later, on February 6, 1952, Elisabeth prematurely ascended the throne, after the sudden death of her father. Philip gives up his last name, his titles of prince of Greece and Denmark, his religion, but especially his military career. Until then, Elisabeth was shy, and Philip dominant. Now at the head of the kingdom, the dynamics of the couple are reversed. Her role is now to advise and support the Queen. In the shadows, still two steps behind her.
A rebellious prince
From their love are born four children: Charles, future king of England, in 1948, Anne, two years later, Andrew in 1960 and finally Edward in 1964. Deprived of authority, Philip is refused by Churchill to transmit his surname to them. , Mountbatten. A real pain, a humiliation for the Duke of Edinburgh, still not appointed prince consort, and who only benefits from titles of no real value. Philip, who is struggling to find his place, does not accept this role of extra in which one tries to lock him up, and nourishes a bitterness towards the institutions of the kingdom. Rebel, we lend him sulphurous trips with friends.
Philip is disturbing. He needs space, oxygen. At the end of the 1950s, he left for several months to travel around the world with several of his closest friends. On her return, Elisabeth, who wanted more than anything to preserve the unity of her couple, granted him the title of Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and added the name Mountbatten to the surname of her children. A new chapter can then open. Much more comfortable in his role, Philip multiplies initiatives for British youth. Finally, ties are created with his adopted country.
Difficult relations with Prince Charles
Bonds with his sons, on the other hand, are particularly difficult to establish. Mainly with his elder Charles, with whom he shares neither passion nor aspiration. Only his daughter Anne, more smart and daredevil, finds favor in his eyes. With Charles, the relationship escalates when Philip forces him to make a choice: leave Diana or propose to her. For the young man, there is no doubt that this is an injunction to marry the future Princess of Wales. He submits to it. But when the couple broke up, Charles fell responsible for it.
Philip turns out to be a much better grandfather. When Lady Di dies, and while the Queen's coldness is particularly badly experienced by the British population, Philip watches over William and Harry, even walking with them behind their mother's coffin on the day of her funeral.
Forever away from the conveniences
His last years are marked by some of his escapades. Racist, sexist protests, inappropriate jokes, traffic accidents… Philip is known to put his foot in the dish and splash all the guests. To the point of becoming the darling of British cartoonists.
This outspokenness, far from the conveniences of the crown, is perhaps what continued to please Elisabeth, during all these years at her side. Eternal kid, sometimes annoying, but whom we cherish for the breaths he offers in a too serious world. The only one, too, to dare to stand up to him. In 1997, on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary, Elisabeth declared: "He has been, to put it simply, my strength and my prop during all these years".
