The Duke of Edinburgh’s 93rd Birthday

On 10 June, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, celebrated his 93rd birthday. To mark the occasion, a 62-gun salute was fired at the Tower of London, whilst soldiers from the Honourable Artillery Company paid tribute to the Duke at Gun Wharf. There was also a garden party in his honour at Buckingham Palace in the afternoon.

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born on 10 June 1921 at Mon Repos, the residence of his parents, which is situated on the Greek island of Corfu. He is the only son and fifth child of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Prince Philip had four sisters; Margarita (1905-1981), Theodora (1906-1969), Cecilie (1911-1937) and Sophie (1914-2001). He was christened into the Greek Orthodox Church and his godparents were Queen Olga of Greece and the Mayor of Corfu.

Prince Philip was firstly educated at an American school in Paris, although he later moved on to Cheam School in the United Kingdom. After that, Philip went to live in Germany after his mother was put in an asylum, and whilst in Germany he attended Schule Schloss Salem. After spending two terms at the Schule Schloss Salem, Philip later attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland.

Prince Philip married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Just before their wedding, he renounced his Greek and Danish titles and converted to Anglicanism, and as a result gained British citizenship and received the title of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. Later, this was changed to his current title.

Prince Philip and the now Queen Elizabeth have four children: Charles, Prince of Wales (born in 1948), Anne, Princess Royal (born in 1950), Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born in 1960) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (born in 1964). They also have eight grandchildren: Peter Phillips (born in 1977 – son of Anne and Mark), Zara Phillips (born in 1981 – daughter of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips), Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (born in 1982 – son of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer), Prince Harry of Wales (born in 1984 – second son of Charles and Diana), Princess Beatrice of York (born in 1988 – daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson), Princess Eugenie of York (born in 1990 – second daughter of Andrew and Sarah), Lady Louise Windsor (born in 2003 – daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones) and James, Viscount Severn (born in 2007 – son of Edward and Sophie).

And also four great grandchildren: Savannah Phillips (born in 2010 – daughter of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly), Isla Phillips (born in 2012 – second daughter of Peter and Autumn), Prince George of Cambridge (born in 2013 – son of Prince William and Catherine Middleton) and Mia Tindall (born in 2014 – daughter of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall).

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Tagged Birthday, The Duke of Edinburgh.

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