The incredible life of Prince Philip, who is dead at 99
Prince Philip has died at the age of 99.
Buckingham Palace announced the Duke of Edinburgh died Friday morning.
He lived an incredible life. Here are some of the best photos.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died Friday at the age of 99.
While he retired from public life at the age of 95, saying he would no longer carry out public engagements, he was indeed present at some high-profile events in recent years, including the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018.
His life took him from a career in the Royal Navy to decades standing by the side of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, and his role as a figurehead for organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Here's a look at the incredible life of Prince Philip.
Buckingham Palace on Friday announced the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
He was born as Prince of Greece and Denmark on the island of Corfu on June 10, 1921, the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece. His mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg.
His family left Greece for France when Philip was only 18 months old because of political instability. He's pictured above, second from right, on vacation in Romania in September 1928.
Philip was educated at an American school in Paris, Cheam School in Hampshire, and Schule Schloss Salem in Germany. He also attended the public school of Gordonstoun in Elgin, Scotland.
Source: The Royal Family
Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1939 after he left Gordonstoun.
He was promoted to sub-lieutenant, then became the first lieutenant of the destroyer HMS Wallace in 1942, at the age of 21. He was promoted to commander in 1952, the same year he left the navy.
Source: The Royal Family
Prince Philip was always athletic. Here, he's shown batting in the nets during cricket practice while in the Royal Navy in July 1947.
During the World War I, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Prince Philip's grandfather, changed the family's name to Mountbatten, a title Philip adopted.
Source: The Royal Family
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip met when they were children, at a wedding in 1934. In July 1947, the couple announced their engagement.
Phillip renounced his Royal Mountbatten title in order to marry her.
The couple were married on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. Philip gained the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.
They spent part of their honeymoon at Broadlands in Hampshire.
For the next few years, the couple lived in Malta, where Prince Philip was stationed with the Royal Navy. There, in 1949, they had their first son, Prince Charles. Princess Anne followed in 1950.
In this more candid image, they're pictured with Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Clarence House in August 1951.
At 25, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth in 1953, directly following the death of her father, King George VI. At this point, Philip left the Navy.
Still, he managed to maintain interests outside his new royal duties. After qualifying as a pilot in 1953, Philip was the first member of the Royal family ever to fly out of Buckingham Palace Garden in a helicopter.
He also maintained his military connections as Colonel, Grenadier Guards.
He and the Queen waited until 1960 to have their third child, Prince Andrew. Their fourth and final child, Prince Edward, was born in 1964.
Prince Andrew looked pleased to be riding with his father to Windsor Castle for Christmas in 1964.
Philip leaves behind eight grandchildren, including Prince William, who is second in line to the throne. 10 great-grandchildren are also part of the family.
William and Philip appeared to have a close relationship.
When Queen Elizabeth II took the throne, Philip stood by her side ...
... and he stayed there. Here, the couple exit a Royal Tour of Canada in 1951.
Here, he visits Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as part of a state trip to the Middle East in 2010.
He carried out 100 public engagements in 2016 alone, more than many of the younger royals.
He has sat beside Her Majesty as she has delivered speeches in Parliament ...
... and has made countless public appearances. In this image, the people of London wave to the couple in celebration of the Queen's 90th birthday.
Life in the public eye can surely be exhausting, and there have been moments when Philip lost his patience.
In 2015, he was caught on camera swearing at a photographer to "take the f---ing picture."
To a parking attendant who didn't recognize him in 1997, he reportedly snapped: "You bloody silly fool!"
He also faced tragedy. Philip and Queen Elizabeth II dealt with the unexpected death of their former daughter-in-law, Princess Diana, in 1997.
Just a few years later, Queen Elizabeth lost her mother and only sister within the span of just two months.
Philip was renowned for his cheeky, and sometimes offensive, sense of humor.
Some of his gaffes — of which there are many — have been garnered unwanted attention.
In 2002, he asked the aboriginal leader William Brin in Queensland: "Do you still throw spears at each other?"
A year later, in a conversation with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was in national dress, Philip said: "You look like you're ready for bed!"
But Philip also made jokes at his own expense. On the day his retirement was announced, Sky News had footage of him sharing this laugh with one well-wisher.
Philip was patron, president, or a member of more than 780 organizations as of his 96th birthday. He founded the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh's Award youth program, which gives young people opportunities for self-improvement.
He became the UK president of the World Wide Fund for Nature in 1961 and international president from 1981 to 1996, when he retired. His grandsons Prince Harry and Prince William have also been involved with the organization.
He remained a keen sportsman, with a love of polo, carriage driving, and sailing. Here, he attends the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
He attended the royal wedding of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Kate Middleton in April 2011.
He met celebrities - or rather, celebrities met him. Tom Cruise got the royal handshake ...
... and he spent time with former US President Barack Obama.
He also attended the royal wedding of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, to Meghan Markle in 2018.
Not all of his trips were so extravagant, though. Here, he visits a zoo where he fed the elephants.
He also took a ride on a cable car in Brighton ...
... and traveled on board a steam train near Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
A trip to the pub also didn't go amiss.
The Duke of Edinburgh announced his retirement from public life at the age of 95, with the plan to no longer carry out public engagements or accept invitations - but that didn't stop him from attending Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018.
He also posed for a photo alongside the Queen at Windsor Castle in honor of his 99th birthday.
While the public may have had mixed opinions on the Duke of Edinburgh, it's undeniable that he was fully committed to his life in the royal spotlight.
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