Last modified on Fri 9 Apr 2021 10.14 EDT
Day in, day out, at thousands of engagements over 73 years, the Duke of Edinburgh could be found where protocol dictated and love determined: at the Queenâs side or a few paces behind.
Half of perhaps the worldâs most famous partnership, Prince Philip was dutifully deferential in public, though the few glimpses afforded into the dynamics of their private relationship suggest a more patriarchal attitude was deployed at home.
Queen Elizabeth II accompanied, a few steps behind, by Prince Philip at the Royal Film Performance of A Bunch of Amateurs in London in 2008. Photograph: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
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As the world mourns the passing of the Queen’s devoted husband, we reflect on Philip s amazing life and legacy, revealing how it was his vision that modernised the family, earning him the title of legend from his adoring grandchildren
Words by Michelle Davies
The first conversation the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh ever had was about catching mumps. It was 1939 and Elizabeth, then 13, had accompanied her father, the King, on a visit to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. On arriving they discovered two cadets had come down with mumps, so it was decided that Elizabeth and her sister Margaret, nine, should skip the formalities and an 18-year-old trainee officer by the name of Philip was dispatched to keep them company. He instantly captivated Elizabeth.
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9 April 2021 • 7:18pm
The Queen flashes a smile at Prince Philip, during the Trooping the Colour parade in 2009
Credit: PA
If you surprised yourself by shedding a tear – as millions of us did – when you heard that Prince Philip was gone, no small part of that sadness will have been for his widow, our Queen and his beloved wife.
In 62 days, Her Majesty would have been able to send the Duke of Edinburgh a telegram for his 100th birthday. That would have amused them both. (They never stopped laughing together.) If he could possibly have hung on to give her that satisfaction, you just know that he would. For that was his job, always and until his final breath. He was her champion, “my strength and stay all these years,” the Queen called him on their Golden Wedding
Prince Philip: Winston Churchill suspicious of Duke - Neither liked nor trusted | Royal | News express.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from express.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
He was the wartime Prime Minister regarded by many to be the greatest Briton who ever lived.
Sir Winston Churchill s leadership during the fight against Nazi Germany was symbolised by the indomitable spirit he championed in his numerous speeches to the British public.
But far from the symbol of strength which he represents, a new book details how the politician suffered from a barrage of ailments throughout his life.
Winston Churchill s Illnesses 1886-1965, by Allister Vale and John Scadding, sets out chapter by chapter each of the injuries, afflictions and accidents which befell Sir Winston.
Among them was the donation of a skin graft to help a wounded colleague while fighting at the famous Battle of Omduran in 1898 and the three bouts of pneumonia and a stroke suffered while in office.