A tribute to Prince Philip, 1921-2021

Prince Philip played a pivotal, yet often underestimated, role in ensuring the survival of the modern British monarchy. His self-confidence and irreverence served as an invaluable foil for the young Queen Elizabeth, enabling her to overcome her natural shyness and giving her the confidence and stability to reign so calmly and irreproachably for such a long time.

As Britain’s longest-serving consort, he outlasted 14 prime ministers and carried out a staggering 22,000 solo public engagements, joking shortly before his retirement from royal duties in 2017 that he was probably the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler. When the mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah told the prince how sorry he was to hear he was standing down, Philip riposted in characteristic fashion: ‘Well, I can’t stand up much longer!’

Prince Philip’s achievement was all the more remarkable given that his overtly masculine, forthright and restless character did not obviously equip him to play second fiddle. Yet ever since the Queen’s accession to the throne in 1952, he had been required to address his wife as ‘Ma’am’ in public and to bow whenever she entered a room.