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The Duke of Edinburgh chose to spend a lifetime by the side of the Queen, instead of pursuing his military career further, when he tied the knot with a then-Princess Elizabeth on November 20, 1947.
And when his wife was crowned Queen following the death of her father King George VI, the Duke threw himself into “modernising” the royal family to overcome the disappointment of the premature loss of his professional career in the Royal Navy.
Prince Philip knew his “family days in his beloved home, Clarence House, were behind him”, according to a royal biography, and they would have to up sticks to Buckingham Palace to carry out their duty to the nation.
But the Duke was determined to make his mark.
Writing in ‘Prince Philip: The Duke of Edinburgh’, Annie Bullen said: “Philip knew that their carefree days were over.
“He understood the family days in his beloved home, Clarence House, were behind him and that they would have to move to Buckingham Palace. He also knew that there was no chance of further service in the Royal Navy.
“Although he was powerless to prevent the move, he decided to modernise the way things were done at the palace.”
As soon as Philip arrived at his new royal residence, he set up the Organisation and Methods Review, which saw him ask every single member of staff what they were doing and why, and visited each of the 600 rooms to see what was going on.
Ms Bullen added: “Some of the older courters were horrified, but on the whole Philip’s questions and changes went down well.”
Prince Philip vowed to act as Queen Elizabeth’s “eyes and ears” when he married the soon-to-be-monarch 71 years ago at Westminster Abbey.
But Philip had in fact hoped to enjoy a life overseas in high command for the Royal Navy before his royal duties got in the way.
However, when it became clear his father-in-law King George VI was in ill health, the Duke resigned as a Royal Navy commander in 1951.
He had joined the Navy from school in 1939 aged 18 and went on to serve with distinction in the Mediterranean.
He also saw battle in the Second World War and many royal insiders tipped him to go all the way in the senior service and become its chief or First Sea Lord.
Philip, who is now 97, was formally made a British prince in 1957 by his wife, after he became the Baron Greenwich, Earl of Merioneth and Duke of Edinburgh just before his wedding to the Queen.
And after more than 65 years by the side of his wife Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip certainly made his mark, only retiring at the grand old age of 96 in August last year.
He has since been seen in public on rare occasions, and it is expected he will be next seen at Princess Eugenie’s Royal Wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October.
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