The Duke of Edinburgh was devoted consort (companion to the Sovereign) for over 60 years, from Her Majesty’s Accession in 1952 until his death.
He has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years , and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know
The Queen, in a speech to mark the couple’s Golden Wedding Anniversary
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In 2009 he became the longest serving British consort, a distinction previously held by Queen Charlotte, George III’s consort.
The role of The Queen’s consort is primarily to provide companionship and moral and practical support to the Monarch.
The consort does not hold a formal position in the structure of government and The Duke did not see State papers or hold official audiences.
However, Prince Philip established a significant role for himself in his own right, creating an extensive and important portfolio, based on his personal interests, all of which he carried out in support of Her Majesty’s duties.
The early reign
The husband of a reigning Queen, unlike a Queen Consort, is not crowned or anointed at the coronation ceremony. In 1953 The Duke of Edinburgh was, however, the first peer to ‘do homage’ or pay his respects to The Queen, immediately after the Archbishops and Bishops.
Watch footage from The Queen’s Coronation:
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
The Duke of Edinburgh, at The Queen’s Coronation
In September 1952, shortly after her Accession to the throne, The Queen granted Prince Philip “place, pre-eminence and precedence” next to herself, a position normally reserved for the Heir to the Throne; and on 22 February 1957 she created him a Prince of the United Kingdom so that his title was from then on His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
From 1967 he sat on a consort’s throne placed next to that of The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament.
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Supporting The Queen
His portfolio of work aside, The Duke of Edinburgh always maintained that his first duty was to support The Queen in her programme of public engagements and ceremonial duties from visiting local charities to hosting Heads of State during State Visits.
Prince Philip accompanied Her Majesty on all of her Commonwealth tours and State Visits overseas, as well as on tours and visits throughout the United Kingdom whenever possible. On some visits, he carried out a parallel itinerary of engagements to complement The Queen’s programme.
On his own he travelled all over the world, often representing The Queen during visits to remote parts of the Commonwealth which could only be reached by sea and where the arrival of Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia was greeted with great enthusiasm.
In 2017, Her Majesty appointed The Duke of Edinburgh to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in recognition of his years of service.
? Take a look at some of the moments The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have shared together over the last 70 years. pic.twitter.com/KRozbU5MKm
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 20, 2017