RIP Duke of Edinburgh

Phil H

Member
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4,107
Back in the 1970's Prince Philip accompanied HM the Queen when she opened the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon, and I photographed him when he left the entourage to go and talk to a couple of kids sitting on a wall; I thought it was a really nice gesture from a guy who could so easily have ignored them.

RIP Sir.
 

MarkMas

Chief pedant
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8,795
Wasn't the Prince of Denmark or something to do with Denmark?

From memory, his grandfather (maybe great grandfather) was King of Denmark, and they sent his father (or maybe his grandfather), Prince Otto, to rule Greece as they 'needed' a king. I'll look it up...
 

dem maser

Moderator
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34,220
Yes he was part of the Greek Royal family until he left.....his mother was Greek and was a nun I believe
 

MarkMas

Chief pedant
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8,795
From memory, his grandfather (maybe great grandfather) was King of Denmark, and they sent his father (or maybe his grandfather), Prince Otto, to rule Greece as they 'needed' a king. I'll look it up...

Well, I was close, but muddled.
  • Prince Philip is the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece & Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.
    • Prince Andrew of Greece was the fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia.
    • Princess Alice of Battenberg was a great grand-daughter of Queen Victoria.
      • King George I of Greece was formerly Prince William of Denmark and was selected (at the age of 17) by the Greek National Assembly and the Great Powers to replace Bavarian-born King Otto, who was deposed in October 1862.
        • (King Otto, second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, was described by one biographer as "neither ruthless enough to be feared, nor compassionate enough to be loved, nor competent enough to be respected")

Prince Philip and the Queen are also both great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria (who has about 800 descendants).

84008
 

philw696

Member
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25,113
Our favourite tale of Prince Philip?

On arriving for a tour of Australia with the Queen he was asked by a slightly over-zealous immigration officer whether or not he had a criminal record.
His reply?
"I didn't know it was still a requirement" - outstanding!

Rest In Peace Sir.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,539
Our favourite tale of Prince Philip?

On arriving for a tour of Australia with the Queen he was asked by a slightly over-zealous immigration officer whether or not he had a criminal record.
His reply?
"I didn't know it was still a requirement" - outstanding!

Rest In Peace Sir.

If only it were true.....

(which it might be, but I find it vanishingly unlikely)

C
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
Is it only me that thought he was a bit of an oaf and said many quite racist comments about Indian wiring and drunker Scots taxi drivers?

Sad to hear of anyone dying but not to the extent they cancel Corrie for a ‘Tribute’

There, I said it…
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Well, I was close, but muddled.
  • Prince Philip is the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece & Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.
    • Prince Andrew of Greece was the fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia.
    • Princess Alice of Battenberg was a great grand-daughter of Queen Victoria.
      • King George I of Greece was formerly Prince William of Denmark and was selected (at the age of 17) by the Greek National Assembly and the Great Powers to replace Bavarian-born King Otto, who was deposed in October 1862.
        • (King Otto, second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, was described by one biographer as "neither ruthless enough to be feared, nor compassionate enough to be loved, nor competent enough to be respected")
Prince Philip and the Queen are also both great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria (who has about 800 descendants).

View attachment 84008
Didn't realise they both shared Queen Victoria in the blood line!
 

Oneball

Member
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11,069
He had a good go at it but I find it terribly sad as it seems to signal the passing of an entire generation.
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
He had a good go at it but I find it terribly sad as it seems to signal the passing of an entire generation.
Saw him once, and Queen in Bolton 1966. School made us stand there waving wee flags as their car went past. Thynne St right in front of Edbros. I was five and being indoctrinated
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,539
Is it only me that thought he was a bit of an oaf and said many quite racist comments about Indian wiring and drunker Scots taxi drivers?

Sad to hear of anyone dying but not to the extent they cancel Corrie for a ‘Tribute’

There, I said it…

TBH the fact that they are showing the same thing on BBC1, 2 and News!

C
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,069
Saw him once, and Queen in Bolton 1966. School made us stand there waving wee flags as their car went past. Thynne St right in front of Edbros. I was five and being indoctrinated

To be fair if anyone else from Greece turned up in Bolton in the sixties they’d have had you outside waving flags.
 

Wanderer

Member
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5,791
To be fair if anyone else from Greece turned up in Bolton in the sixties they’d have had you outside waving flags.
Actually in the 70’s on the Halliwell Run, 13 pubs we had Pedro’s Taverna, what a character he was, Spanish obvs, if he didn’t like you he’d put laxatives in your drink. Fought against Franco and ended up in Bolton. Wonderful chap!
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,069
Actually in the 70’s on the Halliwell Run, 13 pubs we had Pedro’s Taverna, what a character he was, Spanish obvs, if he didn’t like you he’d put laxatives in your drink. Fought against Franco and ended up in Bolton. Wonderful chap!

That’s what I was getting at. It’s Pedro’s generation that’s slipping away.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,539
So to enliven the stories that fly around, this one I am happy is totally true. A good friend of the family is a highly skilled and qualified organist, and he has related thus:

So. Prince Philip (RIP). I played for a service when I was a D of M at St Olave's Hart St. A service for Trinity House, the lodge for people of a maritime persuasion. HRH was there, as well as that amateur Edward Heath. There was a reception afterwards. I was introduced to HRH and Heath, and the tosspot of a politician laid into me quite vociferously for the tempo at which I played a hymn. Just like that- amateur as he was. Not to be spoken down to by an amateur, and having played the Fugue from the the Reubke 94th psalm as a voluntary, I asked Heath if he had ever played it, knowing he would not be able to play a note of it. He huffed and puffed and prevaricated. Prince Philip looked at me. Back at Heath. "You know, Edward, as ancient sea men, we need to remember to follow the helmsman." He looked at me again and I smiled and nodded. Good man....

C