List of titles and honours of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born 10 June 1921 – died 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. During his long life, he received many special titles, awards, and honorary roles. This article lists some of the most important ones. When you see two dates, the first is when he received the title or award, and the second is when he stopped using it or when it ended.

Royal Titles and How He Was Addressed

Quick facts for kids Styles of The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness

10 June 1921 – 28 February 1947: He was known as His Royal Highness Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.
28 February 1947 – 19 November 1947: He was called Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.
19–20 November 1947: For a short time, he was Lieutenant His Royal Highness Sir Philip Mountbatten.
20 November 1947 – 22 February 1957: He became His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
22 February 1957 – 9 April 2021: His full title became His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Becoming a Duke

On 19 November 1947, the day before his wedding to Princess Elizabeth, King George VI gave Philip the special title His Royal Highness. The next morning, 20 November 1947, he was also made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. This meant he had several important noble titles in the United Kingdom.

Special Unofficial Titles

People in different parts of the world sometimes gave Prince Philip unique unofficial titles.

Papua New Guinea

1952 – 2021: In the local language, Tok Pisin, he was called Oldfella Pili-Pili him bilong Misis Kwin, which means "Old man Philip, he belongs to Mrs. Queen."

Tanna, Vanuatu

1952 – 2021: In the local language, Bislama, he was known as Number one big fella him bilong Misis Kwin, meaning "The most important person belonging to Mrs. Queen."

Wales

5 August 1960 – 9 April 2021: He was given the title Bard Philip Meirionnydd, a special honour in Welsh culture.

Discussions About His Titles

There were sometimes discussions about what titles Prince Philip should have.

His Royal Title

After he married Princess Elizabeth, many people started calling him "Prince Philip." This was because he had been a Prince of Greece and Denmark by birth. However, the King at the time, George VI, had intentionally not given him the title of "British Prince" when he married.

Later, in 1953, a Canadian politician suggested he be called Prince of the Commonwealth. The Queen liked this idea, but some leaders and Philip himself weren't sure. Eventually, in 1957, it was officially announced that he would be known as His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. This made him a Prince of the United Kingdom.

Order of Australia Award

The special badge for a Knight of the Order of Australia.

In 2015, Prince Philip was made a Knight of the Order of Australia. This caused some debate in Australia. The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, who recommended the award, later said it might not have been the best decision at the time.

His Naval Ranks

Prince Philip had a long and distinguished career in the Royal Navy. Here are some of his ranks:

1940 – 1941: He served as a Midshipman on ships like HMS Ramillies and HMS Valiant.
1941 – 16 July 1942: He became a Sub-Lieutenant on HMS Wallace.
16 July 1942 – October 1942: He was promoted to Lieutenant on HMS Wallace.
October 1942 – 15 August 1950: He served as a First Lieutenant on HMS Wallace, HMS Whelp, and HMS Chequers.
15 August 1950 – 2 February 1952: He became a Lieutenant Commander on HMS Chequers and HMS Magpie.
2 February 1952 – 15 January 1953: He was a Commander on HMS Magpie.
15 January 1953 – 9 April 2021: He reached the highest naval rank, Admiral of the Fleet.
10 June 2011 – 9 April 2021: He was also the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, a very old and important naval role.

Awards from Commonwealth Countries

Prince Philip received many honours from countries in the Commonwealth, which are countries that used to be part of the British Empire.

Special Appointments

These are some of the highest honours he received:

Country	Date	Appointment	Post-nominal letters
England	19 November 1947	Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter	KG
British Empire and Commonwealth	10 June 1948	Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Sovereign	ADC
United Kingdom	4 November 1951	Member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council	PC
Scotland	21 April 1952	Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle	KT
United Kingdom	22 May 1953	Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire	GBE
Canada	14 October 1957	Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada	PC
Commonwealth realms	10 June 1968	Member of the Order of Merit	OM
British Columbia	1971	Recipient of the Order of the Dogwood	OD
New Zealand	15 November 1981	Extra Companion of the Queen's Service Order	QSO
Australia	13 June 1988	Companion of the Order of Australia (Military Division)	AC (Mil)
Australia	26 January 2015	Knight of the Order of Australia (General Division)	AK
Papua New Guinea	2005	Royal Chief of the Order of Logohu	GCL
New Zealand	4 June 2012	Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand	ONZ
Canada	23 April 2013	Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit	CMM
Canada	26 April 2013	Extraordinary Companion of the Order of Canada	CC
Commonwealth realms	20 November 2017	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order	GCVO

Medals and Decorations

Prince Philip also received many medals for his service and for special events.

Country	Date	Decoration	Post-nominal letters
British Empire and Commonwealth	12 May 1937	King George VI Coronation Medal
United Kingdom	8 July 1943	1939–1945 Star
United Kingdom	8 July 1943	Africa Star
United Kingdom	May 1945	Atlantic Star
United Kingdom	May 1945	Burma Star, with Pacific clasp
United Kingdom	May 1945	Italy Star
United Kingdom	16 August 1945	War Medal 1939–1945, with Mentioned in dispatches oak leaf
Commonwealth	2 June 1953	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Canada	1954	Canadian Forces' Decoration, with five bars	CD
Commonwealth realms	6 February 1977	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
New Zealand	9 February 1990	New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
Commonwealth realms	6 February 2002	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
Saskatchewan	27 May 2005	Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan
Commonwealth realms	20 November 2007	Royal Victorian Chain
Commonwealth realms	6 February 2012	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (both the British and Canadian versions)
United Kingdom	11 October 2016	Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with six bars

Other Commonwealth Countries

Prince Philip also received honours from other Commonwealth nations that are not "realms" (meaning the Queen is not their head of state).

Appointments

Country	Date	Appointment	Post-nominal letters
Zanzibar	1963	Member First Class of the Order of the Brilliant Star
Maldives	13 March 1972	Member of the Most Distinguished Order of Nishanizzuddeen	NIIV
Singapore	1972	Honorary Member of the Darjah Utama Temasek	DUT(1)
Brunei	1972	Member First Class of the Family Order of Laila Utama	DK

Decorations

Country	Date	Decoration	Ribbon	Post-nominal letters
Brunei	1992	Sultan of Brunei Silver Jubilee Medal
Malta	15 April 1992	Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal

Awards from Other Countries

Prince Philip also received many honours from countries around the world.

Orders

Country	Date	Appointment	Post-nominal letters
Greece	1941	Commander of the Order of Saints George and Constantine with swords
Greece	By 1947	Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
Denmark	16 November 1947	Knight of the Order of the Elephant	RE
Greece	1950 – 1975	Knight Grand Cross with Swords of the Royal Order of George I	GCGI
Greece	1950	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix	GCP
Monaco	15 February 1951	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Charles
Norway	24 July 1952	Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav	StkStOO
Panama	29 November 1953	Grand Cross of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero
Sweden	1954	Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim	RSerafO
Ethiopia	1954	Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Queen of Sheba
Portugal	25 October 1955	Grand Cross of the Ancient and Most Noble Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of the Valour, Loyalty and Merit	GCTE
Iraq	1956	Member First Class of the Order of King Faisal I
France	9 April 1957	Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
Italy	1958	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic
Netherlands	26 March 1958	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Netherlands	1971	Commander of the Order of the Golden Ark
Germany	1958	Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Nepal	1960	Member of the Order of the Benevolent Ruler
Finland	1961	Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose	SVR SR
Tunisia	1961	Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence
Liberia	23 November 1961	Grand Band of the Order of the Star of Africa
Ecuador	1962	Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Peru	1962	Grand Cross in Brilliants of the Order of the Sun of Peru
Bolivia	1962	Grand Cross of the Order of the Condor of the Andes
Chile	1962	Collar of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
Brazil	1962	Grand Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross
Paraguay	1962	Grand Cross Extraordinary of the National Order of Merit
Argentina	1962	Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin
Belgium	1963	Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
Iceland	1963	Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Mexico	1964	Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Jordan	1966	Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance
Afghanistan	1971	Member First Class of the Order of the Supreme Sun
Japan	1971	Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
South Korea	1985	Blue Dragon of the Order of Sports Merit
Luxembourg	12 June 1972	Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
Yugoslavia	19 October 1972 – 1992	Yugoslav Great Star of the Order of the Yugoslav Star
Palestine	1972	Star of Palestine
Zaire	1973	Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Leopard
Portugal	31 May 1973	Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry	GCollH
Netherlands	1979	Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark
Oman	27 February 1979	Member First Class of the Military Order of Oman
Qatar	22 February 1979	Collar of the Order of Independence
Portugal	14 August 1979	Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz	GCA
Tunisia	21 October 1980	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia
Morocco	29 October 1980	Member Special Class of the Order of Muhammad
Spain	19 October 1986	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III
Poland	1991	Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Portugal	27 April 1993	Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (Portugal)	GCC
United Arab Emirates	2010	Order of the Federation
Saudi Arabia	2010	Member of the Distinguished First Class of the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit

Decorations

Country	Date	Decoration
Greece	1945	Greek War Cross
France	1945	Croix de Guerre with Palm
Sudan	1964	Decoration of the Republic, First Class
Austria	1966	Decoration for Service to the Republic of Austria, Grand Star
Iran	14 October 1971	Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire

How He Wore His Awards

Prince Philip wore his awards according to British traditions. The ribbons below show some of the awards he wore regularly.

Ribbons of The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

	Order of Merit	Royal Victorian Order
Order of the British Empire (Military Division)	Order of Australia (General Division)	Order of New Zealand	Queen's Service Order
Order of Canada	Order of Military Merit	1939–45 Star	Atlantic Star
Africa Star	Burma Star with "Pacific" clasp	Italy Star	1939-45 War Medal with Mention in Despatches
King George VI Coronation Medal	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with six bars	Canadian Forces' Decoration with five clasps	New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal	Order of the Redeemer (Greece)	Greek War Cross (1940)	Croix de Guerre 1939-45 with Bronze Palm

Honorary Military Roles

Prince Philip held many honorary positions in the armed forces of different Commonwealth countries. This means he was a special figurehead for these military groups.

Australia

1954 – 2021: Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Australian Navy
1954 – 2021: Field Marshal of the Australian Army
1959 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
1963 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Australian Army Cadets
1954 – 2021: Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force

Canada

Prince Philip as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment, April 2013

1953 – 2021: Admiral of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
2011 – 2021: Admiral of the Royal Canadian Navy
1953 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets
8 December 1953 – 9 April 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment
1967 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
1967 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
1967 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own)
15 July 1978 – 9 April 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)
2011 – 2021: Captain-General of the Canadian Army
1953 – 2021: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets
2011 – 2021: General of the Royal Canadian Air Force

New Zealand

1958 – 2021: Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal New Zealand Navy
1954 – 1964: Colonel-in-Chief of the Hawke's Bay Regiment
1954 – 1964: Colonel-in-Chief of the Otago and Southland Regiment
1970 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
1977 – 2021: Field Marshal of the New Zealand Army
1977 – 2021: Marshal of the Royal New Zealand Air Force

Trinidad and Tobago

1964 – 2021: Honorary Colonel of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment

United Kingdom

1953 – 2021: Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Navy
1952 – 1992: Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps
1953 – 2017: Captain General Royal Marines
2011 – 2021: Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom
1953 – 2021: Field Marshal of the British Army
1952 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Cadet Force
1953 – 1958: Colonel-in-Chief of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
1953 – 1959: Colonel-in-Chief of the Wiltshire Regiment
1953 – 1961: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
1953 – 1957: Honorary Colonel of the Leicestershire Yeomanry
1953 – 2021: Honorary Colonel of the City of Edinburgh University Officers' Training Corps
1953 – 1974: Colonel of the Welsh Guards
1957 – 2021: Member of the Honourable Artillery Company
1958 – 1993: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
1959 – 1994: Colonel-in-Chief of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment
1961 – 1994: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)
1967 – 2021: Honorary Colonel of the Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry
1969 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
1975 – 2017: Colonel of the Grenadier Guards
1977 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Intelligence Corps
1993 – 2002: Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Royal Hussars
1994 – 2007 Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
1994 – 2006: Colonel-in-Chief of the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)
2002 – 2021: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Royal Hussars
2006 – 2021: Royal Colonel of the Highlanders, 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
2007 – 2020: Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifles
1953 – 2021: Marshal of the Royal Air Force
1952 – 2015: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps
1952 – 2015: Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets
1953 – 1957: Honorary Air Commodore of the No. 601 (County of London) Squadron
1960 – 2021: Commandant-in-Chief of RAF Henlow
1977 – 2012: Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Kinloss
1983 – 2021: Air Commodore of the University Air Squadron

Other Special Titles and Honours

Honorary Citizenships

Prince Philip was given honorary citizenship in several cities around the world.

1962: Montevideo, Uruguay
16 March 1966: Chicago, USA

City Freedoms

He also received the "Freedom of the City" in many places, a special honour given to respected people.

Commonwealth realms

14 June 1948: London - He became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.
1948: Greenwich, UK
1949: Edinburgh, Scotland
May 1949: Belfast, Northern Ireland
1 December 1954: Cardiff, Wales
15 February 1955: Glasgow, Scotland
3 December 1956: Melbourne, Australia
1959: Calgary, Canada
1964: Bridgetown, Barbados
1995: Windsor and Maidenhead, UK
6 July 2012: Perth, Scotland

Other Commonwealth

1961: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
1963: Nairobi, Kenya

Foreign

1964: Guadalajara, Mexico
1964: Acapulco, Mexico
1966: Los Angeles, USA

Other Honorary Roles

Deputy Sheriff of Harris County, Texas (USA)
Honorary Deputy Sheriff of Los Angeles County (USA)

Scholastic Honours

Prince Philip was involved with many universities and schools, often holding honorary positions.

Chancellor, Visitor, Governor, and Fellowships

Country	Date	School	Position
Wales	1948 – 1976	University of Wales	Chancellor
Scotland	1952 – 2011	University of Edinburgh	Chancellor
England	1952 –	London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine	Patron
England	1953 –	University College, University of Oxford	Honorary Fellow
England	1953 –	Charterhouse School	Royal Governor
England	1954 –	King's College London	Life Governor
Canada	1955 – 2021	Upper Canada College	Visitor
England	1957 – 2004	University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology	Visitor
United Kingdom	1957 – 2012	English-Speaking Union	President
England	1959 –	Churchill College, University of Cambridge	Visitor
Canada	1959 – 2021	Upper Canada College	Honorary Old Boy
England	1967 – 1990	University of Salford	Chancellor
England	1976 – 2011	University of Cambridge	Chancellor
Scotland		Queen Victoria School	Patron

Honorary Degrees

He received many honorary degrees from universities, recognizing his achievements and contributions.

Country	Date	School	Degree
Wales	1949	University of Wales	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
England	1951	University of London	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
England	1951	Durham University	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
Malta	1959	University of Malta	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
India	1959	University of Delhi	Doctor of Science (DSc)
England	1960	Reading University	Doctor of Science (DSc)
Peru	1962	University of Lima	Doctor of Engineering (DEng)
England	1964	University of Oxford	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
California	1966	University of California	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
England	1967	University of Salford	Doctor of Science (DSc)
England	1967	University of Southampton	Doctor of Science (DSc)
Canada	1969	University of Victoria	Doctor of Science (DSc)
Australia	1974	University of Adelaide	Doctor of Science (DSc)
Canada	1 July 1983	University of Western Ontario	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Jordan	1984	University of Jordan	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Australia	1986	Monash University	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Malaysia	2002	University of Technology, Malaysia	Doctor of Management Engineering
England	2007	Imperial College London	Doctor of Science (DSc)
England	2012	University of Plymouth	Doctor of Marine Science (DMS)

Things Named After Prince Philip

Several awards, places, and buildings have been named in honour of Prince Philip.

Awards

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award: A famous youth award program he founded.
United Kingdom: Prince Philip Designers Prize: An award for great design.
United Kingdom: Prince Philip Medal: An engineering award.

Geographic Locations

New Zealand: Prince Philip Glacier: A glacier named after him.

Structures

Buildings

Wales: Prince Philip Hospital: A hospital in Wales.
Hong Kong: Prince Philip Dental Hospital: A dental hospital in Hong Kong.

Highways, Roads, and Bridges

Ontario: Prince Philip Drive, London, Canada.
Newfoundland and Labrador: Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Canada.
Norfolk Island: Prince Philip Drive.

Parks

Malaysia
- Sabah: Prince Philip Park

Lifeboats

United Kingdom: RNLB Duke of Edinburgh: A lifeboat named in his honour.

Images for kids

Prince Philip's Royal Monogram