IN MEMORIAM
HRH THE PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Royal Mail today revealed images of four new stamps being issued in memory of HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The black and white images feature Prince Philip through the years:
- 2nd Class stamp: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh taken by the photographer Baron
- 1st Class: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attending the passing out parade of Prince Andrew at Dartmouth Naval College, Devon
- £1.70: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
- £2.55: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh taken by the photographer Terry O’Neill
Simon Thompson, CEO, Royal Mail said: ”Throughout adulthood, The Duke of Edinburgh dedicated himself to the service of this country, the Commonwealth and to the many causes he was involved with. For more than seven decades he was at the centre of our national life. His passing is a key moment in our history which we mark with this set of commemorative stamps”.
Born on June 1921 in Corfu, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was the only son and youngest child of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg. Like HM The Queen, he was also a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, descended from her second daughter, Princess Alice.
Following the abdication of his uncle, King Constantine I, during a turbulent period in Greece’s history, his family fled the country to exile in France when the Prince was 18 months old.
After education at Cheam Preparatory School and Gordonstoun, in 1939 the 18-year-old Prince joined the Royal Navy as a ‘Special Entry’ Cadet, where he excelled in his training.
In July 1947 the engagement of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten to Princess Elizabeth was announced, and four months later their wedding at Westminster Abbey was the first great State occasion since the end of World War II.
On the death of King George VI in February 1952, Prince Philip gave up his naval career to commit himself fully to establishing his role as consort to the new monarch.
In addition to supporting HM The Queen, Prince Philip became patron or president of some 800 organisations during his lifetime, including the Industrial Society, the National Playing Fields Association and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. He was also President of the World Wildlife Fund UK, WWF International President and President Emeritus, Chancellor of Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities, and President of the International Equestrian Federation.
Founding The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956, HRH inspired and encouraged millions of young people around the world to learn new skills and develop their full potential.
In his spare time, Prince Philip pursued his interests in sports and adventure, becoming a qualified pilot, a keen sailor who competed regularly at the Cowes Regatta and an avid polo player. He also took up four-in-hand carriage-driving and represented Britain at several World and European championships.
An artistic individual, The Prince enjoyed painting landscapes and he was a keen collector of art. Prince Philip also played a vital role in helping to modernise the institution of the monarchy. In May 1961, he became the first member of the Royal Family to be interviewed on television. It was his suggestion that The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace should be built on the site of the chapel destroyed in an air raid in 1940 to display items from the Royal Collection to the public.
During more than half a century in the public eye, Prince Philip accompanied The Queen on more than 250 overseas tours and completed well over 20,000 official engagements. He successfully carved a niche that combined ceremonial and family duties, as the father of four children, with his own crowded itinerary.
The four portrait stamps presented in a miniature sheet, retails at £6.65. The stamps and a range of collectible products are available now to pre-order from www.royalmail.com/dukeofedinburgh.
The stamps will be available on general sale from 24 June 2021.
