Prince Philip was a British military officer, naval officer, and prince consort, born on 10 June 1921 in Corfu.

He was educated at Cheam School, Schule Schloss Salem, and Gordonstoun, before going on to train at Britannia Royal Naval College. Those years of schooling took him across several countries, and he spoke English, German, and French. His naval career led him into military service, during which he was awarded the Croix de guerre 1939–1945, recognising his wartime contributions.

On 6 February 1952, with the accession of Queen Elizabeth II — whom he had married — Philip took on the role of prince consort, a position he held until his death on 9 April 2021 at Windsor Castle. That tenure of nearly seventy years made him the longest-serving consort of a British monarch. Over the course of that role he accumulated a range of honours from several nations, including the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the Knight of the Order of Australia, the Royal Victorian Chain, and the Knight of the Order of the Elephant. He held United Kingdom citizenship and carried out his duties as a British aristocrat throughout his adult life.

Away from formal duties, Philip was also a polo player, a pursuit that sat alongside his identity as a sportsman and military man. He died at Windsor Castle on 9 April 2021, just a few weeks short of his hundredth birthday, having served as consort of the British monarch for the entirety of Queen Elizabeth II's reign up to that point. His roles as naval officer, military officer, aristocrat, and prince consort defined the public shape of his long life.