Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Born into the Greek and Danish royal families in 1921, Philip was exiled at 18 months old and educated across France, Germany, and the United Kingdom before joining the Royal Navy at 18 in 1939. He began writing to 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth that same year and served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific during the Second World War. In 1947, he renounced his Greek and Danish titles, became a naturalised British subject, adopted the surname Mountbatten, and married Elizabeth — receiving the title Duke of Edinburgh on their wedding day. When she became Queen in 1952, he left acti…