The Duke of Edinburgh on one of his visits to Malta being greeted by former Prime Minister George Borg Olivier.The Duke of Edinburgh on one of his visits to Malta being greeted by former Prime Minister George Borg Olivier.

A day before Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was set to retire, he described himself as the “world’s most experienced plaque unveiler”.

This self-deprecating remark is typical of the man who has been in the public eye for the past 70 years. Between 1947 and 1952 he was a promising naval officer who had just married the young Princess Elizabeth. Later, between 1952 and 2017 he would remain beside this person – this time as consort to the British monarch.

Other remarks were less cautious and would often make politically-correct circles feign shock and horror. His repertoire is world-famous; from asking a Scottish driving instructor how he manages to keep “the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test” to inquiring how a student who trekked in Papua New Guinea “managed not to get eaten”, the Duke of Edinburgh’s sense of humour will be sorely missed now that he has performed his last public engagement.

In paying tribute to his lifetime of service, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson remarked that the duke is “one of the last great impregnable bastions of political incorrectness”.

Nonetheless, it would be far too simplistic to dismiss the Duke of Edinburgh as (to use his terminology) a “plaque-unveiler” prone to the occasional politically incorrect remark.

The Foreign Secretary, however, hit the nail on the head when he observed that “they don’t make them like that anymore”. Indeed, there is a greater depth to the Duke of Edinburgh which cannot – and shouldn’t – be forgotten.

Born in Corfu on June 10, 1921 to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, the prince, would experience several upheavals during his early years. In December 1922, a revolutionary court banished his family from Greece. During his childhood, his family would move from France to the United Kingdom and Germany. In the 1930s, Prince Philip was schooled at Gordonstoun in Scotland before enrolling at the Royal Navy College in 1939.

It was while he was studying at the Royal Navy College that Prince Philip and the young Princess Elizabeth first met. Both were distant cousins through Queen Victoria and with the help of their formidable uncle, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the two began corresponding regularly.

A devotion to public life which is rare in a world which has become intensely individualistic and blind to the values which shape the common good

The announcement of their engagement came on June 10, 1947. In the run-up to this announcement, Prince Philip rescinded his Greek and Danish royal titles. He became a British subject and was received in the Church of England. On November 20, 1947, he married Princess Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey. On that same morning, King George VI gave Prince Philip the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.

Prince Philip has a distinguished naval career in his own right. Having served in both the Mediterranean and the Pacific fleets, he saw a significant amount of action during World War II.

During the Allied liberation of Sicily in 1943, Prince Philip was the second-in-command of HMS Wallace while in 1946 he was on board the HMS Whelp in the Bay of Tokyo while Imperial Japan surrendered. In keeping with his modest and matter-of-fact manner, some aspects of his heroic service would only come to light 60 years after the events occurred.

During the early years of their marriage, this naval career would help to forge a strong relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Malta. In 1949, Prince Philip was appointed as first lieutenant on board HMS Chequers – the lead ship of the first destroyer flotilla in the Mediterranean fleet. On September 2, 1950, he was given command of the frigate HMS Magpie.

While stationed in Malta, Prince Philip resided at Villa Guardamangia. Princess Elizabeth would visit regularly. During these visits the couple attended various social engagements and were regular patrons at the Hotel Phoenicia.

However, life for the Edinburgh’s would soon change. HMS Magpie was the only vessel to have Prince Philip at its command.

George VI’s health was failing. On February 6, 1952, the ailing monarch breathed his last. Princess Elizabeth was now the reigning monarch, and Prince Philip had to adjust to his new role as consort. He took to this role with his characteristic sense of duty, his innate no-nonsense modesty and his unique sense of humour.

Apart from accompanying the Queen on several engagements, the Duke of Edinburgh undertook an additional 22,200 solo engagements, delivering 5,496 speeches and embarking on 637 overseas trips in 143 countries. In addition, he is the patron of 785 organisations.

His most lasting legacy is the Duke of Edinburgh Award which aims to help youths “on their sometimes difficult path to adulthood”. Founded in 1956, this award embodies some of the values which have shaped his public life and service – volunteering, charity work, physical activities and other practical life skills.

Beyond his humorous gaffes and easy-going nature, the Duke of Edinburgh exemplifies tireless public service – a devotion to public life which is rare in a world which has become intensely individualistic and blind to the values which shape the common good.

He retires at the age of 96 after a lifetime of service. In November he will be celebrating 70 years of married life. We won’t be doing him justice if we focus solely on his gaffes.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s retirement drives home the reality that a generation which valued public life, family and duty is slowly dying out. The tributes he received in the wake of his retirement are well deserved. There is much to learn from the service of this exemplary public servant.

André DeBattista is an independent researcher in politics and international relations.

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