Prince Philip had to give up his birthright and "allegiance" before he could marry the then-Princess Elizabeth. It was a huge personal change, but he did, for his now-wife of more than seven decades. It remains unclear, though, what he felt after renouncing them.
Before his wedding, a ceremony happened to naturalize his British roots. While he may have lost his royal honors, King George VI bestowed him a dukedom. He, then, became the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip is royal by blood. His real full name was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark as he was born into the Greek and Danish royal families, according to the Daily Express. He, reportedly, had to relinquish these titles because he will be marrying the soon-to-be Queen of the United Kingdom. Therefore, his allegiance and loyalty must only lie to the British Monarchy, which can only happen if he becomes a British national.
The Duke's parents were Princess Alice of Battenberg and Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. Despite being born into a royal family, his life was reportedly different from the royal life his wife had experienced. Reports noted that after his birth, their family had to go in exile.
King Constantine of Greece was his uncle. After his forced abdication due to the Greco-Turkish War, Prince Andrew was accused of treason, forcing the family to flee from Greece.
The now-Duke of Edinburgh, reportedly, grew up in exile. Reports, then, revealed that they first lived in Paris. However, he was sent, later on, to Britain to live with his maternal grandmother, Victoria Mountbatten, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, and uncle, George Mountbatten.
Growing up, Prince Philip's teenage years were filled with "tragedy," according to Tatler. Aside from the accusations that he received due to his German links, his sister and nephews all died in a plane crash. His uncle and guardian, Lord Milford Haven also passed away not long after.
Upon finishing his schooling years, though, he, reportedly, excelled in his classes. He, then, moved on to serve the British forces during the Second World War. Unfortunately, he had to fight against his brothers-in-law, who were German princes by blood, since they all served the German forces.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II officially tied the knot in November of 1947. At that time, they were serving the British Monarchy as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
He was not a British Prince until 1957. Reports noted that the Queen bestowed upon him the title, after five years into her reign.
