On Friday 8 April 2021, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh passed away at the age of 99. As a royal watcher and a royal historian, I felt that I needed to mark this. Next weekend I will be back to my normal arts and culture posts, with another Behind the Ballet post. For today I would like to focus a bit on Prince Philip and his life. I’m going to highlight some of my favourite of Prince Philip’s moments in Canada, as well as a list of the best Prince Philip biographies.
Prince Philip in Canada
The Golden Souvenir of The Royal Tour of Canada (Pitkin Guide for the 1951 Royal Tour of Canada) and A Manitoba Album: Royal Visits are two of my favourite books, and I treasure them. As one might expect, the Pitkin Guide focuses more on Princess Elizabeth, but there are a few fantastic Prince Philip moments.
Committing to His Role
I’ve always admired the Duke’s commitment to his role and his duties. No matter what the engagement was, he was there and fully committed. He might have made a comment but he always was a good sport.
While in Ottawa, “The Princess and the Duke sampled Alberta elk, Saskatchewan grouse, Manitoba wild rice and other gastronomic favourites… A cruise down the Ottawa River, a chat for the Duke with top-rank Canadian scientists, then back to the Chateau Laurier for a government reception…. The Royal visit closed with a party at the Governor’s residence; the indefatigable Duke of Edinburgh in cowboy costume participated in ‘square-dancing’ with nautical vigour”. (P.8, own bolding) I’m not sure why square-dancing was qualified, but it is always good fun! (I’m also unsure of what nautical vigour is, but it seems applicable either way…)
A Dedication to Service
One of the reasons that I admire the British Royal Family is their dedication to service. While it can often seem like the Commonwealth is so large that there is no way to stay abreast of everything happening, the Duke was always incredibly well-informed. In 1997, my province- Manitoba- suffered a devastating flood in April and May. It caused half a billion dollars in damage, and thousands lost their homes after being forced to evacuate.
In June of 1997, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh decided to make a last minute trip.
Leaving his official duties in Toronto, he travelled to Manitoba to visit with families and Canadian military personnel picking up the peice left behind by the Flood of the Century in the town of Ste. Agathe.
“He felt this sense of service, with who he was and the position he held, in a time of crisis like this that he should be there to show the support,” Don Leitch, former clerk of the Executive Council in Manitoba, recalled Friday.
The royal was nevertheless concerned about being “underfoot” during the tour, Leitch said, and was hesitant of any fanfare.
“This visit to Ste. Agathe was not meant to be a high-profile royal visit, it was him coming because he felt that sense of duty,” Leitch said. “His example of service and commitment and your respecting your duty is a great lesson for everyone.” (Julie-Simone Rutgers, “Prince Philip brough ‘intelligent, feisty, plain-spoken’ personality to Manitoba” Winnipeg Free Press, April 10, 2021.)
Prince Philip… and the Ballet
Obviously I was going to find a way to bring the ballet into this! On their 1951 visit, the Princess and the Duke saw the then Winnipeg Ballet perform. In 1953, the company received their royal charter and became the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. It was the first royal charter granted in her reign. This photo of the couple at the Ballet’s performance is still one of my favourites!
The Best Prince Philip Biographies
Judging from the number of questions I’ve received, you may be looking for books about Prince Philip. It is a fair question, as he led a fascinating life. (And it is often obscured by out of context sound clips.) I’ve read several but I’ve picked my top three here.
Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Years, Philip Eade
Married for almost seventy years to the most famous woman in the world, Prince Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. Yet his origins have remained curiously shrouded in obscurity.
In ‘Young Prince Philip’, the first book to focus exclusively on his life before the coronation, biographer Philip Eade recounts the Prince’s extraordinary upbringing in Greece, France, Nazi Germany and Britain, where he inhabited a notably colourful milieu yet was beset by continual turbulence and a succession of family tragedies.
This revealing book examines the formative psychological effects of having a mother who was born deaf and was committed to a psychiatric clinic when Philip was nine, and a father who was so traumatised by his treatment at the hands of Greek revolutionaries that he later left his young son to be brought up by his wife’s family, the Milford Havens and Mountbattens, just when Philip needed him most.
Why You Should Read This…
I think a lot of people think “born on a kitchen table, exiled from Greece, and Nazis” when it comes to Prince Philip’s early years. However, that is a fairly simplistic and quite frankly insulting view of a complex man. (Also, his brothers-in-law were Nazis, but Philip had distanced himself from his sisters, and fought against the Nazis in WWII.) Eade’s biography focuses on Philip’s early formative years, and just how important of a role they played.
The Duke: 100 Chapters in the Life of Prince Philip, Ian Lloyd
The Archbishop of Canterbury called him ‘bloody rude’, courtiers feared he was ‘a foreign interloper out for the goodies’, daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson found him ‘very frightening’ and the Queen Mother labelled him ‘the Hun’. Journalists have continually portrayed him as a gaffe-prone serial philanderer, with European outlets going way off-piste and claiming he has fathered 24 illegitimate children. Prince Philip says ‘the impression the public has got is unfair’, though there is no self-serving autobiography and his interviews with broadcasters or writers are done grudgingly. The Duke sets out to explore the man behind the various myths, drawing on interviews with relations, friends and courtiers and the Duke’s own words. It brings to life some rare aspects of his character, from a love of poetry and religion to his fondness for Duke Ellington and his fascination with UFOs. It also explains why for over seven decades he has been the Queen’s ‘strength and stay’ – and why he is regarded by many as a national treasure.
Why You Should Read This…
I’ve done a full Book Bite on this post chatting about why I loved it, but if you are looking for an encompassing but shorter biography of the Duke, this is it. When someone lives a long and full life like the Duke did, you could write volumes and volumes. However, Lloyd picks out 100 different themes and episodes to highlight. It gives you a wonderful idea of who the Duke was without getting lost in the weeds.
Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century, Ingrid Seward
The son of Greek and Danish royalty, consort to the queen, and the grandfather of Princes Harry and William, Prince Philip has been at the heart of the royal family for decades—yet he remains an enigma to many.
Now, Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, brings her decades of experience covering the royal family to this fascinating and insightful biography of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, and father, grandfather, and great-grandfather of the next three kings of England. From his early childhood in Paris among aristocrats and his mother’s battle with schizophrenia to his distinctive military service during World War II and marriage to Elizabeth in 1947, Seward chronicles Philip’s life and reveals his many faces—as a father, a philanthropist, a philanderer, and a statesman. Though it would take years for Philip to find his place in a royal court that initially distrusted him, he remains one of the most complex, powerful, yet confounding members of Britain’s royal family.
Why You Should Read This…
I’m actually reading this biography at the moment, and I’m really enjoying it. Seward was editor of Majesty magazine for so long, she has professionally covered the Duke for decades. She does well at debunking various myths, and being thorough without repetitive. I will update with my final opinion when I’m done, but 40% in, I would recommend! (From what I can see, it’s selling out quickly.)
What is your favourite Prince Philip biography? Do you have a favourite memory of the Duke of Edinburgh?
Cheers,
The Historian
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