Prince Philip has spoken of his sadness at having to give up on his naval career when his wife, the Queen, took to the Throne.
In a new TV programme, Prince Philip at 90, which marks the Prince's 90th birthday next month, he said he knew that his ‘first duty’ was to his wife, who he married in 1947.
During the interview, he told presenter Alan Titchmarsh: ‘I had just been promoted to commander and the fact was that the most interesting part of my naval career was just starting.
‘But then equally, if I stopped and thought about it, being married to the Queen, it seemed to me my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could.’
The Duke served in the Royal navy during WWII. He spent four months on the battleship HMS Ramillies, protecting convoys of the Australian Expeditionary Force in the Indian Ocean. He also served on HMS Valiant in the Mediterreanean Fleet. He was also mentioned in despatches for his service during the Battle of Cape Matapan, where he saved his ship from a night bomber attack by devising a plan to launch a raft with smoke floats that sucessfully distracted the bombers away from the ship to allow it to slip away unnoticed.
During the interview, the Prince also revealed his sadness at the loss of the royal yacht Britannia in 1997. It was, famously, the only time the Queen was seen to cry in public. The Prince argues that it could have remained in service for another 50 years.
My sadness at lost Navy career and loss of Royal yacht: Prince Philip's revealing interview
By Royal Correspondent
16th May 2011
Daily Mail
In an unusually candid interview to mark his 90th birthday, the Duke of Edinburgh admitted it had been hard to turn his back on a life at sea.
But Philip, who married the Queen 63 years ago, said he knew that his ‘first duty’ was to his wife.
Prince Philip, pictured left during the war, said he was disappointed to give up his naval service when the Queen took the throne. Yesterday he took part in the Laurent Perrier Meet of the British Drive Society at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
During the interview at Windsor Castle, which will be broadcast next week on ITV, presenter Alan Titchmarsh asks the Duke how he felt about giving up his naval career after the Queen’s coronation in 1952.
Philip answers: ‘Well, I mean, how long is a piece of string? I don’t know how difficult it was, it was naturally disappointing.
‘I had just been promoted to commander and the fact was that the most interesting part of my naval career was just starting.
‘But then equally, if I stopped and thought about it, being married to the Queen, it seemed to me my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could.’
Friends have told how the loss of his naval career hit Philip hard, but said he threw himself into a life as a working royal because of his determination to be a steadfast consort to his wife.
The Queen, with Prince Charles and her husband, was visibly upset at the decommissioning ceremony for HMS Britannia in 1997
When Titchmarsh asks the Duke if there is anything in life he would have done differently, he replies: ‘Well yes, I would rather have not made the mistakes I did make, but I’m not telling you what they were.’
The Duke also criticises the decision to take the royal yacht Britannia out of service in 1997 after 43 years. Famously it was the only time the Queen has been seen to cry in public.
Titchmarsh asks if it was the right decision and Philip gives a firm ‘no’, saying it left him ‘saddened’.
He adds: ‘She should have had her steam turbines taken out and diesel engines put in. She was as sound as a bell, and she could have gone on for another 50 years.’
Prince Philip at 90 will be shown on ITV1 at 8pm on Tuesday, May 24.
'SOUND AS A BELL': THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA
During its four decades of service, Britannia carried the Queen and the Royal Family around the world on 968 official voyages.
Launched in April 1953 at John Brown's Clydebank Shipyard, Britannia was commissioned for service the following January.
It was to travel 1,087,623 nautical miles, calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries.
In June 1994, the Government announced that the ship would be taken out of service.
At the beginning of January 1997, Britannia set sail from Portsmouth to Hong Kong on its last and longest voyage.
On December 11 that year it was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base in the presence of the Queen, the Duke and 12 senior members of the Royal Family.
The ship is now owned by The Royal Britannia Trust, a charitable organisation whose sole remit is the maintenance of Britannia in keeping with its former role.
It is permanently moored in Edinburgh's historic port of Leith and visitors can discover what life was like on board for the Royal Family and crew.
Prince Philip: My sadness at lost Navy career and loss of royal yacht | Mail Online
In a new TV programme, Prince Philip at 90, which marks the Prince's 90th birthday next month, he said he knew that his ‘first duty’ was to his wife, who he married in 1947.
During the interview, he told presenter Alan Titchmarsh: ‘I had just been promoted to commander and the fact was that the most interesting part of my naval career was just starting.
‘But then equally, if I stopped and thought about it, being married to the Queen, it seemed to me my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could.’
The Duke served in the Royal navy during WWII. He spent four months on the battleship HMS Ramillies, protecting convoys of the Australian Expeditionary Force in the Indian Ocean. He also served on HMS Valiant in the Mediterreanean Fleet. He was also mentioned in despatches for his service during the Battle of Cape Matapan, where he saved his ship from a night bomber attack by devising a plan to launch a raft with smoke floats that sucessfully distracted the bombers away from the ship to allow it to slip away unnoticed.
During the interview, the Prince also revealed his sadness at the loss of the royal yacht Britannia in 1997. It was, famously, the only time the Queen was seen to cry in public. The Prince argues that it could have remained in service for another 50 years.
My sadness at lost Navy career and loss of Royal yacht: Prince Philip's revealing interview
By Royal Correspondent
16th May 2011
Daily Mail
- 'First duty was to serve my wife,' he admits
In an unusually candid interview to mark his 90th birthday, the Duke of Edinburgh admitted it had been hard to turn his back on a life at sea.
But Philip, who married the Queen 63 years ago, said he knew that his ‘first duty’ was to his wife.
Prince Philip, pictured left during the war, said he was disappointed to give up his naval service when the Queen took the throne. Yesterday he took part in the Laurent Perrier Meet of the British Drive Society at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
During the interview at Windsor Castle, which will be broadcast next week on ITV, presenter Alan Titchmarsh asks the Duke how he felt about giving up his naval career after the Queen’s coronation in 1952.
Philip answers: ‘Well, I mean, how long is a piece of string? I don’t know how difficult it was, it was naturally disappointing.
‘I had just been promoted to commander and the fact was that the most interesting part of my naval career was just starting.
‘But then equally, if I stopped and thought about it, being married to the Queen, it seemed to me my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could.’
Friends have told how the loss of his naval career hit Philip hard, but said he threw himself into a life as a working royal because of his determination to be a steadfast consort to his wife.
The Queen, with Prince Charles and her husband, was visibly upset at the decommissioning ceremony for HMS Britannia in 1997
When Titchmarsh asks the Duke if there is anything in life he would have done differently, he replies: ‘Well yes, I would rather have not made the mistakes I did make, but I’m not telling you what they were.’
The Duke also criticises the decision to take the royal yacht Britannia out of service in 1997 after 43 years. Famously it was the only time the Queen has been seen to cry in public.
Titchmarsh asks if it was the right decision and Philip gives a firm ‘no’, saying it left him ‘saddened’.
He adds: ‘She should have had her steam turbines taken out and diesel engines put in. She was as sound as a bell, and she could have gone on for another 50 years.’
Prince Philip at 90 will be shown on ITV1 at 8pm on Tuesday, May 24.
'SOUND AS A BELL': THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA
During its four decades of service, Britannia carried the Queen and the Royal Family around the world on 968 official voyages.
Launched in April 1953 at John Brown's Clydebank Shipyard, Britannia was commissioned for service the following January.
It was to travel 1,087,623 nautical miles, calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries.
In June 1994, the Government announced that the ship would be taken out of service.
At the beginning of January 1997, Britannia set sail from Portsmouth to Hong Kong on its last and longest voyage.
On December 11 that year it was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base in the presence of the Queen, the Duke and 12 senior members of the Royal Family.
The ship is now owned by The Royal Britannia Trust, a charitable organisation whose sole remit is the maintenance of Britannia in keeping with its former role.
It is permanently moored in Edinburgh's historic port of Leith and visitors can discover what life was like on board for the Royal Family and crew.
Prince Philip: My sadness at lost Navy career and loss of royal yacht | Mail Online
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