prince philip not King
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Prince Philip – the reason why he was Duke of Edinburgh and not made King

He stood alongside Her Majesty for decades, so why wasn't he King Philip?

The Queen and Prince Philip spent their whole adult lives together, and celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in November.

However, while he has a number of royal titles, Prince Philip was never been made King. Read on to find out why…

Was Prince Philip born into royalty?

He was born on the Greek island of Corfu, into the Greek and Danish royal families. However, he abandoned his Greek and Danish titles on marrying the future Queen. He doesn’t speak any Greek, having left the country as a baby.

Instead, he grew up overseas, and attended a number of schools in France, Germany, England and Scotland.

Prince Philip latest news
Prince Philip retired from public life in 2017 (Credit: Pool/SplashNews.com)

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When did they marry?

The couple began corresponding when the young Princess Elizabeth was just 13. After growing close over the years, in 1946 Prince Philip asked her father – King George VI – for permission to marry his elder daughter.

Permission granted, on the condition that the announcement waited until Elizabeth turned 21 the following year, the couple announced their engagement in July 1947.

They married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen and Prince Philip married in 1947 and celebrated their 73th wedding anniversary last year (Credit: SplashNews.com)

When did Her Majesty ascend the throne?

Philip and Princess Elizabeth were in Kenya on a Commonwealth tour on February 6, 1952 when her beloved father, King George VI, passed away.

Philip was the one who broke the news to his wife, and the couple returned home immediately. Her coronation followed on June 2, 1953.

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What royal titles did Prince Philip have?

The day before Philip married Princess Elizabeth, King George VI gave him the style His Royal Highness. George VI also created the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, but it’s the former by which Philip is most often known.

Ten years after their wedding, the Queen made Philip a British prince.

The Duke of Edinburgh was made a British prince ten years after his wedding (Credit: SplashNews.com)

So why wasn’t he King Philip?

Female royals take the equivalent of their husband’s title. For example, Prince William is the Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Kate is the Duchess of Cambridge. And when he becomes King, Kate will be Queen or Queen Consort.

However, this doesn’t apply the other way around. This is the reason Philip did not become King.

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