The Nine Surviving Nephews and Nieces of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

The family of the Duke of Edinburgh: Prince Andrew, Princess Alice, Princess Margarita, Princess Theodora, Princess Cecilie, Princess Sophie, and Prince Philip.

In addition to his British family, the late Duke of Edinburgh leaves behind many close relatives on the Continent. Prince Philip was the youngest of five siblings, the elder four of whom were sisters. The eldest sister Margarita married Gottfried zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg. The next eldest sister Theodora married Berthold of Baden. The third sister Cecilie married Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine. The fourth sister Sophie married Christoph of Hesse; after being widowed, Sophie married Georg Wilhelm of Hannover. From the five marriages of his four sisters, the Duke of Edinburgh is survived by six nephews and three nieces. 

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Margrave Max of Baden at the funeral of his first cousin Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Born on 3 July 1933 at Salem, Margrave Max of Baden was the first son and second child of Margrave Berthold of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. Max, his brother Ludwig, and his cousin Karl of Hesse attended the 1960 wedding of Princess Margaret to Antony Armstrong-Jones. In 1966, Margrave Max married Archduchess Valerie of Austria (b.1940). Margrave Max and Margravine Valerie of Baden have four children, three sons and one daughter: Princess Marie Louise (b.1969), Hereditary Prince Bernhard (b.1970), Prince Leopold (b.1971), and Prince Michael (b.1976). In 1999, Princess Marie Louise married Richard Baker (b.1936). In 2001, Hereditary Prince Bernhard married Stephanie Kaul (b.1966). In 2015, Prince Michael married Christine Höhne. 

Prince Ludwig of Baden at the funeral of his first cousin Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Born on 16 March 1937 at Karlsruhe, Prince Ludwig of Baden was the second son and third and final child of Margrave Berthold of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. In 1967, Prince Ludwig married Princess Marianne von Auersperg-Breunner (b.1943). Prince Ludwig and Princess Marianne have three children: Princess Sophie (b.1975), Prince Berthold (b.1976), and Princess Aglaë (b.1981). In 2019, Princess Aglaë married Wolf von Trotha (b.1974)

Prince Andreas zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg at the funeral of his brother Fürst Kraft.

Born on 24 November 1938 at Schwäbisch-Hall, Prince Andreas zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the second son and third child of Fürst Gottfried zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark. In 1968, Prince Andreas married Princess Luise von Schönburg-Waldenburg (b.1943). Prince Andreas and Princess Luise have two daughters: Princess Katharina (b.1972) and Princess Tatjana (b.1975). In 2002, Princess Katharina married Prince Nikolaus zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (b.1970). In 2010, Princess Tatjana married Hubertus Stephan (1970-2018).

Princess Dorothea of Hesse and her husband Prince Friedrich zu Windisch-Grätz.
Photograph (c) Getty Images/Gamma-Keystone.

Born on 24 July 1934 at Schloß Parker, Princess Dorothea of Hesse was the second daughter and second child of Prince Christoph of Hesse and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark. In 1959, Princess Dorothea married Prince Friedrich zu Windisch-Grätz (1917-2002). Dorothea's wedding was attended by her grandmother Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark (née Battenberg) as well as by King Umberto II of Italy. Princess Dorothea and Prince Friedrich had two daughters: Princess Marina (b.1960) and Princess Clarissa (b.1966). In 1985, Princess Clarissa married Eric de Waele (b.1962). In 1988, Princess Marina married Gyula Jakabffy (b.1962).

Prince Karl of Hesse with his daughter Princess Irina at her wedding, 1999.
Photograph (c) Seeger-Presse

Born on 27 March 1937 at Berlin, Prince Karl of Hesse was the first son and third child of Prince Christoph of Hesse and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark. In 1966, Prince Karl married Countess Yvonne Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchysziget u.Szapár (b.1944). Prince Karl and Princess Yvonne have two children: Prince Christoph (b.1969) and Princess Irina (b.1971). In 1999, Princess Irina married Count Alexander von Schönburg-Glauchau (b.1969), the brother of Fürstin Gloria von Thurn und Taxis.

Prince Rainier of Hesse.

Born on 18 November 1938 at Kronberg, Prince Rainier of Hesse was the second son and fourth child of Prince Christoph of Hesse and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark. Prince Rainier has never married and has no children. The prince is an historian.

Princess Clarissa of Hesse, her mother Princess Sophie, and her stepfather Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover arrive in London for the wedding of Princess Alexandra of Kent, 1963.
Photograph (c) Alamy.

Born on 6 February 1944 at Kronberg, Princess Clarissa of Hesse was the third daughter and fifth and last child of Prince Christoph of Hesse and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark. Clarissa was a bridesmaid at the 1960 wedding of her cousin Lady Pamela Mountbatten to David Hicks. Princess Clarissa of Hesse was also an attendant to Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark at Anne-Marie's 1964 wedding to King Constantine II of Greece. In 1971, Princess Clarissa married Claude Jean Derrien (b.1948); the couple divorced in 1976. Clarissa of Hesse has one daughter, Johanna (b.1980).

Prince Georg of Hannover and his mother Princess Sophie in 1996
Photograph (c) Seeger-Presse

Born on 9 December 1949 at Salem, Prince Georg of Hannover was the second son of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover (1915-2006) and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark (1914-2001). In 1973, Georg of Hannover married Victoria Ann Bee (b.1951), the daughter of Robert Bee (1920-1994) and Countess Eleonore Fugger von Babenhausen (1925-1992), who married in 1946 and divorced in 1959. In 1961, Victoria's mother Eleonore took as her second husband Prince Burchard of Prussia (1917-1988), son of Prince Oskar of Prussia (1888-1958) and his wife Countess Ina Marie von Bassewitz (1888-1973; created Countess von Ruppin in 1914; recognised as Princess of Prussia in 1920). Victoria of Hannover's mother Eleonore was thus married to the first cousin (Prince Burchard of Prussia) of Victoria's father-in-law Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover. Prince Georg and Princess Victoria of Hannover have two daughters: Princess Vera (b.1976) and Princess Nora (b.1979). In 2006, Princess Vera married Manuel Dmoch (b.1977). Princess Nora is married to Christian Falk (b.1972).

The first visit of the now Prince of Wales to Germany in 1963.
Left to right: Princess Sophie, Prince Charles, Princess Frederica, Prince Georg Wilhelm, and Prince Georg.
Photograph (c) Alamy.

Born on 15 October 1954 at Salem, Princess Frederica of Hannover was the only daughter and third and last child of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hannover and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark. Together with her elder half-sister Clarissa, Frederica was a bridesmaid at the 1960 wedding of Lady Pamela Mountbatten to David Hicks. In 1979, Princess Frederica married Canadian Jerry William Cyr (b.1951). Princess Frederica and Jerry Cyr have two children: Julia (b.1982) and Jean-Paul (b.1985).  

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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was predeceased by seven nephews and five nieces. Among Princess Margarita's children, the following nephews and nieces passed away before their uncle: an unnamed Princess zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (b.and d.1933), Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1935-2004), Princess Beatrix (1936-1997), Prince Albrecht (1994-1992), and Prince Rupprecht (1944-1978). Among Princess Theodora's children, the following niece passed away before her uncle: Princess Margarita of Baden (1932-2013; married Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia). Among Princess Cecilie's children, the following nephews and niece passed away before their uncle: Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (1931-1937), Prince Alexander (1933-1937), Princess Johanna (1936-1939), and an unnamed Prince(ss) of Hesse and by Rhine (b.and d.1937). Among Princess Sophie's children, the following niece and nephew passed away before their uncle: Princess Christina of Hesse (1933-2011; married Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia) and Prince Welf of Hannover (1947-1981).

Sisters of Prince Philip to be Represented by Family at Duke's Funeral

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the funeral of his nephew Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

It has recently been reported that the sisters of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be represented at his funeral on Saturday by three individuals. This is being done at the express wish of the late Duke of Edinburgh. The family of Princess Margarita, the eldest sister, will be represented by her grandson Fürst Philipp zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg. The family of Princess Theodora will be represented by her grandson Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden. The families of Princess Cecilie and Princess Sophie will be represented by Landgrave Donatus of Hesse. The three German princes flew to the United Kingdom over the weekend and are currently in quarantine owing to coronavirus precautions. 

Fürst Philipp and Fürstin Saskia zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg on their wedding day.

 

Born in 1970, Fürst Philipp zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg is the only son of Fürst Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1935-2004) and his first wife Princess Charlotte of Croÿ (b.1938). Philipp is the grandson of Fürst Gottfried zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1897-1960) and Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (1905-1981), the eldest sister of Prince Philip. In 2003, then Hereditary Prince Philipp zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg married Saskia Binder; the couple have two sons and one daughter. 

 

Hereditary Prince Bernhard and Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden at the Hesse/Faber nuptials.

Born in 1970, Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden is the son of Margrave Max of Baden (b.1933) and Archduchess Valerie of Austria (b.1941). Bernhard is the grandson of Margrave Berthold of Baden (1906-1963) and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (1906-1969), the second eldest sister of Prince Philip. In 2001, Hereditary Prince Bernard of Baden married Stephanie Kaul; the couple have three sons.

Landgrave Donatus and Landgravine Floria of Hesse at their wedding.

Born in 1966, Landgrave Donatus of Hesse is the son of Landgrave Moritz of Hesse (1926-2013) and Princess Tatjana zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (b.1940). Donatus's father Moritz was adopted by Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, the brother-in-law of Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark (1911-1937), who married Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine. Donatus's uncle Prince Christoph of Hesse was the first husband of Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark (1914-2001). In 2003, then Hereditary Prince Donatus of Hesse married Countess Floria von Faber-Castell; the couple have two sons and one daughter.

The Death of the 13th Duke de Brissac

François de Cossé-Brissac, XIII Duc de Brissac.

On Tuesday, 6 April 2021, the 13th Duke de Brissac passed away at the age of ninety-two. Surrounded by his family, the duke died at his manor La Roche in Charcé-Saint-Ellier. The late duke was particularly passionate about horse breeding, and he served as a municipal councillor in Brissac.

Pierre de Cossé, Duke de Brissac.

May de Cossé (née Schneider), Duchess de Brissac.

Born on 29 February 1929 at the château de la Verrerie, Eugène Marie Timoléon François de Cossé-Brissac was the eldest son of Pierre de Cossé-Brissac (1900-1993), 12th Duke de Brissac, and Marie-Zélie "May" Antoinette Eugénie Schneider (1902-1999). François had three siblings: Marie-Pierre (b.1925; married 1stly Simon Nora; married 2ndly Maurice Herzog; married 3rdly Christian Schmidt), Gilles (1935-2002), and Elvire (b.1939). 

The Duke and Duchess de Brissac with Sir Roger Moore and his wife. 

The Duke and Duchess de Brissac attend the Christmas dinner at the British Embassy to Paris, 2009.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Bertrand Rindoff Petroff.

In 1958, François de Cossé-Brissac married Jacqueline de Contades (b.1940), the daughter of André de Contades and Marguerite "Daisy" Thome. Jacqueline was a friend of her husband's younger sister Elvire. François and Jacqueline had five children, three daughters and two sons: Agnès (b.1960; married Bruno van den Broek d'Obrenan), Charles-André (b.1962), Angélique (b.1965; married Vicomte Stanislas de Rougé), Marie-Antoinette (b.1968; married Philippe Leclerq), and Pierre-Emmanuel (b.1974; married Marie-Astrid Larue).

The late Duke de Brissac with his eldest son Marquis Charles-André de Cossé-Brissac.

The 14th Duke de Brissac is the eldest son and heir of François: Charles-André de Cossé-Brissac. In 1993, Charles-André married Countess Larissa Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsövidek (b.1967). The new Duke and Duchess de Brissac have four children, three daughters and one son: Laszlo (b.1994), Irina (b.1996), Délia (b.1998; engaged to Prince Marc von Croÿ), and Annabel (b.2002). 

May the Duke de Brissac Rest in Peace.

An Interview with Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1913-1999)

Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

In the fall of 1998, Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies gave an interview to Giuseppe Scammacca. This interview was published in the now defunct French-language magazine Bourbons. Below one can read an English translation of the interview of the princess.

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Your Royal Highness is one of the great nieces of the last Neapolitan sovereign, His Majesty Francesco II. What kind of memories did the Duke of Calabria, the father of Your Royal Highness, impart to you of the king?

Naturally, my father, but also my grandfather [the Count of Caserta] often spoke to me of Francesco II, as well as to my three sisters. The idea that we had as children was that the king was a man struck by sorrows and the trials of life. Probably due to various betrayals that he endured... I remember very well my great-aunt, the Queen Sophia. She was a severe woman; I was so afraid of her.

Can you provide us with a description of the Duke of Calabria, your father?

My father followed the family's traditions, notably in reorganising the Constantinian Order of which he was Grand Master for a long time. He also pursued a military career in the Spanish army of his cousin King Alfonso XIII; I believe that I remember that he was a very talented engineering officer. He fought in Spanish Morocco. 

One of my saddest memoirs: the death in his youth of his son (my brother), the Duke of Noto, the presumptive heir. He died from the Spanish flu that ravaged Europe during the First World War.

Called to God in 1960, the Duke of Calabria was by right His Majesty King Ferdinando III. How did he carry out this dignity far from the land that had witnessed his birth?

To tell the truth, my father was not born in Naples but in Rome, at the Palazzo Farnese. However, he only lived there for a year, since he, like his entire family, had to leave the new Italy after September 1870; this exile did not end until 1938, on the occasion of my sister Lucia's marriage to Prince Eugenio of Savoy-Genoa, Duke of Ancona. I remember that my father spent a lot of his time, when he lived in Bavaria, to constitute and reorganise archives relating to the royal family and therefore to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Unfortunately, part of these documents was destroyed during the bombing of Munich during World War II. He donated what was left of the archives to the city of Naples.

What can you tell us about your father's stay in Spain?

I have often been told of the military feats of my grandfather, who had been the Chief of Staff in the Carlist armies who fought for King Carlos VII of Spain, Duke of Madrid. In 1874, when the Duke of Madrid had to take refuge in France, my grandfather rode alongside him when they arrived in Pau. This is where the daughter of the Carlist King, Princess Alicia, was born.

As a Capetian princess, how do you view the House of Bourbon?

Personally, I feel first of all Neapolitan and Sicilian; moreover, when I travel to the old kingdom, I see everywhere the proof of the moral, cultural and spiritual heritage that my family left there. But I was just talking about Pau; that's where Henri VI started out. So I am also French at heart, as I am undoubtedly Spanish and Parmesan. Indeed, the Bourbons reigned everywhere, until America. It's amazing, isn't it?

You yourself have experienced exile. How did you feel when you went through this ordeal?

Sadness; in particular, that of not being able to know the countries and the friends that our parents wanted to tell us about. Of course, my mother, my sisters and I could cross the north of Italy to get from Munich to Cannes... But remember that we were always watched, accompanied on the train by plainclothes police. And, it was not until 1938 that my father was able to return to Italy. However, since the end of World War II, we were finally free. It is all the more strange that my Bavarian cousins have never suffered this kind of annoyance ... and have always lived in their homeland.

You return from time to time to the lands that constituted the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. What are your feelings there?

I am at home there! And I have so many friends there!

Exactly, what is the attitude of the Italians and, more precisely, of the Neapolitans and the Sicilians towards you?

As I just told you, grand and loving are the feelings of the people I meet. All still speak - and I will even say more and more - of my ancestors whom they consider as the image of the continuity of the moral and political values which embodied the history of our kingdom. Moreover, I am invited to the many events organised by cultural groups and movements that want to seriously study the true history of the nineteenth century.

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The Duchess of Calabria with her youngest child Princess Urraca.

Born on 14 July 1913 at Schloß Nymphenburg in Munich, Princess Urraca Maria Isabella Carolina Aldegonda of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was the sixth and youngest child of Prince Ferdinand Pius of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and his wife Princess Maria Ludwiga Theresia of Bavaria. Urraca chose not to celebrate her birthday, remarking: "How can a Bourbon celebrate on the day of the storming of the Bastille?" The princess had five older siblings: Princess Maria Antonietta (1898–1957); Princess Maria Cristina (1899–1985; married Manuel Sotomayor-Luna, Vice President of Ecuador); Prince Ruggiero, Duke of Noto (1901–1914), Princess Barbara (1902–1927; married Count Franz Xaver zu Stolberg-Wernigerode), and Princess Lucia (1908–2001; married Prince Eugenio of Savoy, Duke of Ancona). The Duke and Duchess of Calabria lived with their children at Villa Amsee just outside Lindau.

 

Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Princess Michael of Kent, Venice, 1990.
Photograph (c) Marcellino Radogna.

As the daughter of the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Urraca regularly represented her family at royal and aristocratic functions and charitable events.

Press report on the 1957 accident.

On the night of 10 January 1957, Urraca was driving her eldest sister Maria Antonietta to her home in Lindau, Germany, when their automobile collided with a truck that had skid on ice near Winterthur, Switzerland. Maria Antonietta was killed in the accident and Urraca was seriously injured. After several months in hospital, Princess Urraca recovered.

The grave of Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

On 3 May 1999 at Sigmaringen, Princess Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies died at the age of eighty-five.  Princess Urraca never married although she did have a suitor for her hand at some point. The princess was buried at Rieden in the same cemetery as her parents and two of her siblings: Prince Ruggiero, Duke of Noto, and Princess Maria Antonietta. Urraca's burial site was marked with a simple wooden cross affixed with a small brass plaque bearing her name, until it was replaced by a large cross-shaped headstone with a similar small brass plaque.

Engagement of Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue!

The newly engaged couple.
Photograph (c) Grand Ducal Court.

On Tuesday, 6 April 2021, the Grand Ducal Court announced the engagement of Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Mademoiselle Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. The couple have been in a relationship for some time. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa issued the following statement: "We are very happy to announce the engagement of our son, Prince Louis, to Miss Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. Princes Gabriel and Noah join us in surrounding the new couple with all our affection. We wish them immense happiness."

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prince Louis, Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue, and Grand Duke Henri.
Photograph (c) Grand Ducal Court.

Born at Bordeaux on 8 August 1991, Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue is the daughter of Pierre Sirgue (b.1954) and the late Scarlett Berrebi (d.2021). Pierre and Scarlett founded Cabinet d'avocats BERREBI & SIRGUE, the family's law practice, in 1984. Scarlett-Lauren has two siblings: Elisabeth and Archibald. The Sirgue children were raised between Cap Ferret, Bordeaux, London, Switzerland, and Paris. A lawyer like her parents, Scarlett-Lauren works at the family law firm and specialises in Family Law and Victims' Law. Through her father, Mlle Sirgue is a distant cousin of French politician Marine Le Pen. 

 

Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue and Prince Louis of Luxembourg.

 

Born at Luxembourg City on 3 August 1986, Prince Louis of Luxembourg is the son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. Louis has four siblings: Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Prince Felix, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Sebastian. From 2006-2019, Prince Louis was married to Tessy Antony; the couple had two children, Prince Gabriel (b.2006) and Prince Noah (b.2007). 

 

Scarlett-Lauren and Louis, Christmas 2020.

 

Our best wishes to the happy couple!

Condolences Pour in from Europe's Royals after Death of the Duke of Edinburgh

HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Following Friday's announcement from Buckingham Palace about the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, the royal houses of Europe have joined together in sending their condolences to The Queen and the British Royal Family. You can find a selection of these messages below.

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Albania

Crown Prince Leka of Albania has expressed his condolences:

The Albanian Royal Family expresses it’s sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the British Royal Family for the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip will be dearly missed and his incredible life remembered. With our prayers!

Austria

 

Archduke Ferdinand of Austria has expressed his condolences:

Prince Philip’s humour, courage & dedication will always be an example to us. My condolences to the British Royal Family and all of Great Britain.

Belgium

 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians have expressed their condolences:

Deeply saddened by the passing away of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. We wish to express our deepest condolences to Her Majesty The Queen, the British Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom. 

Philippe and Mathilde

Denmark

 

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has expressed her condolences:

Her Majesty The Queen has today sent personal condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in connection with the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.⁣
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Prince Philip was born in 1921 as Prince of Greece and Denmark and was a great-grandchild of Christian IX.⁣ A portrait of Prince Philip was painted by the Australian-born artist Ralph Heimans in 2017. In the painting, Prince Philip wears the Danish Order of the Elephant.

France

 

Prince Jean, Count of Paris, has expressed his condolences:

The Duke of Edinburgh esteemed a lot France and French people. His sense of duty was much appraised. We shall miss his phlegm and elegance. Deepest condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and all the British Royal Family, on behalf of the French Royal Family.

Greece

 

King Constantine II of Greece has expressed his condolences:

Prince Philip was a remarkable man who dedicated his entire life to duty and service for his country and the Commonwealth.

My sorrow is even deeper because of our close family ties. He will be deeply missed by all of us.

He was a man of great character who will be remembered for his forward-thinking, sharp wit and his constant encouraging support to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Constantine R. 

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece has expressed his condolences:

With deep sadness, but with the joy of reflecting upon a life lived through outstanding dedication and devotion to his country, family and, of course, to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, my family and I remember HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in Mon Repos, our home on the Island of Corfu, on 10th June 1921, the only son of Prince Andrew (Andreas) and Princess Alice of Greece. 

Uncle Philip, as he was known to us, has been a very loved member of the extended Greek family and of course a strong connection for us to Britain where my brother Philippos was born and given his name by my parents. As I reflect on his life, I feel immensely proud of him: of his bravery in World War II and of the way he overcame the challenges of exile in his formative early life. He was by any conceivable standard, the most remarkable servant to the Sovereign and to the United Kingdom, his adopted country, and to the Commonwealth. He was armed with the determination, compassion, vision and steadfast loyalty which were at the core of his ability to support the Queen in their united stability amidst the shifting tides of the past century and beyond. At the coronation he swore to be his wife’s “liege man of life and limb”, which he carried out unfalteringly, unquestioningly.  

He will be remembered by over 700 organisations as President or Patron and for the Duke of Edinburgh Award that since 1956 has had 8million young participants. He took great pleasure in his relationship with the Armed forces and the life of the men and women serving them. 

Prince Philip did not like to dwell on things: he was a doer, with great vigour and energy. It has been said that the life of the dead is placed into the memory of the living and this will be compellingly true of the memories of our time spent with him - the hilarity, the stories, the seemingly limitless interests - will always be treasured. 

Our thoughts and prayers are today with HM Queen Elizabeth II and her own family, for whom the sense of loss will be very hard to bear; and yet I know that the joy of reflecting upon his extraordinary life will be a source of immense comfort and pride.

Luxembourg

 

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg has expressed his condolences:

Your Majesty,

The Grand Duchess and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Your dear husband, Prince Philip.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s longstanding service for Your country is unparalleled, starting in the Royal Navy, where Prince Philip excelled in several battles during Second World War. He brought the same discipline and intelligence to his activities as Prince Consort and will be fondly and respectfully remembered for his strong support and dedication to Your Majesty, Your family and the United Kingdom.

Personally, we hold many great memories of our meetings over the past decades. Not only his earnest commitment to social and environmental causes, but also his wit and humour impressed us deeply. The friendship that Your Majesty and His Royal Highness shared with my late parents still holds a special meaning for my family.

Together with the people of Luxembourg, we send Your Majesty, Your family and the people of the United Kingdom our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies.

Henri

The Netherlands

 

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in addition to Princess Beatrix have expressed their condolences:

It is with great respect that we remember His Royal Highness Prince Philip. Throughout his long life, he committed himself with dedication to the British people and to his many duties and responsibilities. His lively personality never ceased to leave an unforgettable impression. Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy goes out to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and all the members of the Royal Family.

Norway

 

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway have expressed their condolences:

“Our thoughts are with Queen Elizabeth and the rest of her family. We also send our condolences to the British people,” said His Majesty King Harald.

His Majesty has decided that a flag will be flown at half-mast from the Palace balcony today and on the day of the funeral.

Romania

 

The Custodian of the Crown Margareta and Prince Radu have expressed their condolences:

Her Majesty the Custodian of the Romanian Crown and HRH Prince Radu, as well as the Romanian Royal Family, learned with profound sadness and immense sorrow the news of the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The consort to the British Sovereign passed away this morning at Windsor Castle.

Prince Philip and King Michael, born in the same year, were cousins and maintained a lifelong friendship. The Duke of Edinburgh was the godfather of Her Majesty Margareta. Prince Philip, along with Queen Elizabeth II, were always present in the life of the Romanian Royal Family.

After the passing away of King Michael, for Margareta Custodian of the Crown the Duke of Edinburgh was a father figure. All generations of the Romanian and British Royal Families have been close, but for today’s generation, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip remain as spiritual models and fundamental sources of inspiration.

Serbia

 

Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia have expressed their condolences:

TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine and the entire Royal Family received with great sadness the news that HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, godmother of the Crown Prince, passed away today.

The whole life of Prince Philip was dedicated to the service of the British Crown and the people. He is survived by his wife, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, four children, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Prince Philip was the son of the Greek and Danish Prince Andrew, the brother of the Greek King Constantine, the maternal great-grandfather of the Crown Prince Alexander.

Crown Prince Alexander and the Royal Family had a good cousin, a sincere friend in the late Duke, whose memory will live forever. His departure will create a great void in the hearts of all who knew him.

Spain

 

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain have expressed their condolences:

Dear Aunt Lillibet,

We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of dear Uncle Philip. In these sad moments, we would like to send you our most heartfelt condolences on behalf of the government and people of Spain, and all our sympathy and support. We will never forget the moments that we shared with him and the legacy of service and dedication to the Crown and the United Kingdom by your side. Our thoughts and prayers are with Your Majesty and the whole family.

With all our love and affection,


Felipe and Letizia

Sweden

 

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden have expressed their condolences:

The Queen and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Philip has been a great friend of our family for many years, a relation which we have deeply valued.

His service to his country will remain an inspiration to us all.

We offer our sincere condolences to Her Majesty The Queen, The Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.

CARL GUSTAF

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If you would like to send your condolences to The Queen and the Royal Family, please visit the Royal Family's website: https://www.royal.uk

The Death of the British Consort: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021)

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of their 73rd wedding anniversary, 2020.

This morning (Friday, 9 April), Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died at Windsor Castle. The prince had been hospitalised for several weeks between February and March. Prince Philip was ninety-nine years-old and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II for seventy-three years. 

Princess Alice and Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.
Photograph (c) Getty Images.

 

Baby Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.

 

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his wife Princess Alice of Battenberg with their five children: Princess Margarita, Princess Theodora, Princess Cecilie, Princess Sophie, and Prince Philip.  

During the reign of his uncle King Constantine I of the Hellenes, Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark was born at Mon Repos, Corfu, on 10 June 1921, as the only son and fifth and final child of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and and his wife Princess Alice of Battenberg, who married in 1903. Prince Philip's four elder sisters were Margarita, Theodora, Cecilie, and Sophie. The prince, who was seventh in the line of succession to the Greek throne, was baptised in the Greek Orthodox rite at St. George's Church in the Old Fortress in Corfu. He received as godparents his paternal grandmother Queen Olga of Greece (for whom Princess Olga of Greece stood proxy) and the Corfu City Council (for whom the Mayor of Corfu stood proxy). At the time of Philip's birth, his father Prince Andrew was away fighting on the front of the Greco-Turkish War. After Greece lost the war in Autumn 1922, the monarchy was abolished and the royal family went into exile. Andrew, Alice, and their five children settled in France, where Andrew's sister-in-law Marie Bonaparte, wife of his brother George, gave the family a house at Saint-Cloud in which to live. In the meantime, little Philip attended an American school in Paris called The Elms. In 1928, Philip was sent by his parents to stay in the United Kingdom with his maternal grandmother Victoria, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven. He was looked after by his uncle George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Mildford Haven. Victoria Milford Haven enrolled her grandson at Cheam School in Headley, Hampshire.

The Marchioness of Milford Haven (née Countess Nada de Torby), Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, the Marquess of Milford Haven (né Prince George of Battenberg), Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, and the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, 1931.

 

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark prepares for a role in the play Macbeth while at Gordonstoun, 1935.
Photograph (c) Getty Images.

 

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark playing cricket at Gordonstoun, 1939.

Between 1930 and 1931, young Philip's family centre effectively deteriorated from under him. Those years saw the marriages of all four of Philip's sisters: in December 1930, Sophie married Prince Christoph of Hesse; in January 1931, Cecilie married Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine; in April 1931, Margarita married Prince Gottfried zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg; and in August 1931, Theodora married Prince Berthold of Baden. These years also witnessed the deterioration of Philip's parents' marriage: his mother Alice's state of mental health declined to the point that she had to be institutionalised numerous times, and his father Andrew moved in with a mistress. After 1931, there was no home base at Saint-Cloud for Philip. As Philip's sister Sophie remarked about this period in a 1992 profile of her brother: "Then we all sort of disappeared, and the house in St Cloud was closed down." In 1933, Philip was sent to Schloß Salem where he was educated by Kurt Hahn. Owing to the rise of the Nazis in Germany, in 1935, Philip transferred to Gordonstoun in Scotland, which was founded by Hahn after he was forced to leave Salem due to the persecution of the German Jewish population. In 1939, Philip left Gordonstoun and began studying as a cadet at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, from which he graduated in 1940 at the top of his class. Philip then enlisted in the British Royal Navy, where he saw active service during World War II. On 16 July 1942, Philip was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy.

The Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten upon their engagement, 1947.
Photograph (c) Getty Images.

 

The Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on the day of their wedding, 1947.

 

The wedding of The Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, 1947.

In 1939, Philip became reacquainted with The Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of King George VI of the United Kingdom and Queen Elizabeth, during a visit that the king and queen in the company of their young daughters undertook to the Royal Naval College, where Philip was studying. Philip was asked by the princesses' mother Queen Elizabeth and his uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten to look after Elizabeth and Margaret during the visit. Thirteen year-old Elizabeth took to the dashing eighteen year-old cadet. As the years passed, the couple fell in love; Princess Elizabeth would often write to Philip during his naval service. In Summer 1946, Philip asked King George VI for his daughter Elizabeth's hand in marriage, and the king agreed so long as the announcement of the engagement would be delayed until Elizabeth's twenty-first birthday in April 1947. On 28 February 1947, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark became a British subject with the surname Mountbatten. On 10 July 1947, the engagement was officially announced between The Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. In a Letters Patent dated 19 November 1947,  Philip's future father-in-law George VI granted Philip the title, style, and attribute of Royal Highness in addition to awarding Philip the Order of the Garter. In a Letters Patent dated 20 November 1947, King George VI bestowed upon Philip the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. On 20 November 1947, the wedding of The Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh took place at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth and Philip were doubly related: they were second cousins once removed through their descent from King Christian IX of Denmark and they were third cousins through their descent from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The couple's nuptials were broadcast by the BBC and seen by over 200 million people around the world. Among the guests at Philip and Elizabeth's wedding was his eighty-four year-old grandmother Victoria, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, who had been such a source of stability for her grandson. 

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with their first child Charles, 1948.

 

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with their son Charles and newborn daughter Anne, 1950.

 

The Duke of Edinburgh at his desk in his office at Clarence House, 1951.
Photograph (c) Getty Images.

After a honeymoon at the Mountbattens’ Broadlands home, Philip and Elizabeth took up residence at Clarence House. Almost a year after their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh welcomed the birth of their first child, a son: Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh (now The Prince of Wales) was born on 14 November 1948 at Buckingham Palace. Almost two years later, Philip and Elizabeth welcomed the birth of their second child and only daughter: Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise of Edinburgh (now The Princess Royal) was born on 15 August 1950 at Clarence House. Lady Pamela Hicks, the younger daughter of Lord Mountbatten of Burma and a first cousin of Philip, said in the 2014 television documentary The Duke: A Portrait of Prince Philip: "Prince Philip has always been very much the head of the family privately, which is what the Queen wants, because she thinks it is the natural state of things and it is right, because, don't forget, we are talking about two, or three, generations ago, when we all thought like that."

 

The Duke of Edinburgh kneels before the Queen during the Coronation, 1953.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Central Press.

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during the Queen's Coronation, 1953.

 

The British State Visit to Sweden: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his wife Queen Louise, who was Prince Philip's maternal aunt, 1956.

On 6 February 1952, Philip's father-in-law King George VI died at the age of fifty-six. At the time, Philip and Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) were on a royal tour in Kenya. Philip had to break the news to his wife of her beloved father's passing. The couple quickly flew back to the United Kingdom and moved into Buckingham Palace. The Coronation of the Queen took place at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, during which Philip knelt before his wife and sovereign and swore the following oath: "I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God." Philip remained true to this vow for the rest of his life. On 22 February 1957, Queen Elizabeth II created her husband a Prince of the United Kingdom. From then on, he was known as "His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with their four children, 1970.

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh pictured with their two youngest children, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, 1974.

Photograph (c) Estate of Godfrey Argent / National Portrait Gallery, London

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, 1984.

Photograph (c) Yousuf Karsh / Camera Press.

 

On 8 February 1960, Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order in Council declaring that "Mountbatten-Windsor" would be the surname of her and her husband's male-line descendants who are not styled as Royal Highness or titled as Prince/Princess. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh welcomed the arrival of their third child and second son: Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward of the United Kingdom (now The Duke of York) was born at Buckingham Palace on 19 February 1960. Four years later, the family of Elizabeth II and Philip was completed with the arrival of their fourth child and third son: Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis of the United Kingdom (now The Earl of Wessex) was born at Buckingham Palace on 10 March 1964. The Duke of Edinburgh was patron, president, or member of over 750 organisations; he served as chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a self-improvement program for young people that he created in 1956. In 2009 Prince Philip became the longest serving British consort, a distinction previously held by Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.

 

Princess Sophie of Hannover and her brother the Duke of Edinburgh attend the ceremony in Jerusalem when Yad Vashem named their mother Princess Alice to be Righteous Among Nations, 1994.

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with their four children: the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, and the Earl of Wessex, 2007.

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary, 2017.

 

On 2 August 2017, Prince Philip retired from his royal duties, having completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952. On 20 November 2017, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II celebrated their seventieth wedding anniversary, which made the Queen the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary. A polyglot, Philip spoke English, German, and French fluently. In a 1992 interview, Philip recalled: "If anything, I've thought of myself as Scandinavian. Particularly, Danish. We spoke English at home. The others [his sisters] learned Greek. I could understand a certain amount of it. But then the (conversation) would go into French. Then it went into German, on occasion, because we had German cousins. If you couldn't think of a word in one language, you tended to go off in another." Prince Philip enjoyed carriage-driving, painting, flying, sailing, and polo. 

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with their four eldest grandchildren: Prince William of Wales, Peter Phillips, Prince Harry of Wales, and Zara Phillips, 1980s.

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with their four children and five of their grandchildren, 1990s.

 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with the British Royal Family on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary, 2007.

 

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is survived by Queen Elizabeth II, his wife of seventy-three years. He is also survived by his four children and their spouses: the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke of York, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. In addition, Prince Philip is survived by his eight grandchildren and their spouses: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, and Viscount Severn. Furthermore, Philip is survived by ten great-grandchildren: Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, Lucas Tindall, and August Brooksbank.

 

 

May Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Rest in Peace.

 

Coat of Arms of the Duke of Edinburgh.