Prince Philip’s 69 years of royal achievements, from designing a Boucheron ring for Queen Elizabeth to creating a new sport and a now globally popular youth programme
- A former RAF pilot and International Equestrian Federation president, Prince Philip created international carriage competitions and clocked 5,986 flying hours
- He even helped design stained glass windows for a chapel at Windsor Castle – but he’s not immune to breaking royal protocol too, as Princess Anne will testify
As Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip could have been pigeonholed as Her Royal Majesty’s liege, but the Duke of Edinburgh has enough of his own hobbies, achievements and politically incorrect quotes to make him a strong character in his own right.
Before retiring from his royal duties in 2017, the Duke of Edinburgh had completed 22,219 solo royal engagements, dating back to 1952. The prince has also competed in sports on the international stage, established the world’s leading youth achievement programme and dabbled in artistic circles.
Here are five times Prince Philip went beyond the role of royal figurehead.
He made the rules for an international sport
What do you do when your ageing physique is forcing you to retire the polo mallet – but you’ve still got that competitive streak? Establish a whole new sport, apparently.
At least, this is what Prince Philip decided to do after retiring from the game of polo in 1970. As president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the prince involved himself in drafting rules for international carriage competitions – a sport where a driver sits in a vehicle, or carriage, drawn by horses. He has even wrote a book on the subject, and represented Britain in six international championships.
He’s a master of the skies
The prince was a member of the Royal Air Force (as well as the British Royal Navy) and, in 1953, was presented with his Royal Air Force wings. The prince also knows how to fly a helicopter and private plane, after gaining the licenses in 1956 and 1969, respectively.