Prince Philip Biography

Born into the royal family of Greece, Philip Mountbatten made a name for himself in Great Britain as a fast-rising young officer in the Royal Navy during World War II. After the war he became engaged to the future Queen Elizabeth II and they were married on 20 November 1947. (He was created Duke of Edinburgh and his official title, by the queen's decree, is The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.) Beyond his royal duties as the queen's companion, Prince Philip became known as a keen outdoorsman and conservationist; in 1961 he co-founded and became the first president of the World Wildlife Fund. An avid sportsman, he passed his love of polo on to his son Prince Charles. Over the years The Duke of Edinburgh also developed a reputation for blunt and impolitic public quips, such as his 1966 comment that "British women can't cook." He and Queen Elizabeth have four children: Charles (b. 1948), Anne (b. 1950), Andrew (b. 1960) and Edward (b. 1964); as the eldest, Prince Charles is heir to the throne.