The EFL was saddened to learn of the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99.

Husband and consort of Queen Elizabeth II, he was born on 10 June 1921, into Greek and Danish royal families.

Leaving Greece aged just one-and-a-half, Philip spent his early years in France before attending the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. During a glittering military career spanning over 13 years of active service, Philip would reach the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshall and Marshall of the Royal Air Force.

The first meeting between Philip and Elizabeth came when the future Queen was just 13 years of age, when he was training as a Navy Cadet. Fast forward to 1947 and the pair had announced their engagement upon the end of World War Two.

The Royal Wedding, a national celebration known today, was born. In a first of its kind, over 2,500 guests were in attendance at Westminster Abbey, with millions watching the ceremony on television for the first time.

The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth would go on to have four children; son and first heir, Prince Charles, daughter Anne arrived in 1950, whilst sons Andrew and Edward followed in 1960 and 1964 respectively. 

Patron of over 800 organisations, Philip held in high regard the encouragement of sport and the welfare of young people. In 1956, he launched the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, a charity inspired to transform the lives of young people from all walks of life.

That appreciation of sport has continued over the years, with Prince Philip in attendance for the 1966 World Cup Final, and also visiting troops of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards at Lille Barracks in Aldershot to present the ‘Manchester Cup’.

He also regularly travelled the country to open new buildings and architecture, officially opening the Emirates Stadium – home to Arsenal – in 2006, and has presented trophies at some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including Wimbledon, the Rugby World Cup and FA Cup, where he presented 1985 winners Manchester United with their medals.


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