An exhibition that looks back at the Duke of Edinburgh’s “remarkable life and legacy” is opens today at Windsor Castle.
Prince Philip: A Celebration, which has been curated by the Royal Collection Trust, explores his early life, time in the navy and his service as a member of the royal family.
The displays, which include more than 150 objects, will showcase his work with various patronages and associations; as well as his contributions to sport, science, conservation and the environment and art.
A special focus of the exhibition, which is running from until 2 September, will be on Prince Philip’s role in the queen’s coronation in 1953, with his coronation robe and coronet on display.
His Chair of Estate, which is usually in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, will also be featured.
Recommended
The Queen and Prince Philip were married for 73 years, making him the UK’s longest-serving consort. He died at Windsor Castle on 9 April aged 99.
Ahead of the Queen’s coronation in 1953, the duke chaired the Coronation Committee and he played a key role in the decision to broadcast parts of the service on television.
The trust said objects which “highlight Prince Philip’s close associations with the castle and local community” had been chosen.
They include a journal belonging to Queen Victoria, the great-grandmother of Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, which describes her as “very pretty”.
Visitors can also buy a range of retail items including a leather bookmark, an ale, ginger marmalade and Scottish oatcakes, to reflect his “fondness for picnics”.
Also going on public display for the first time is a portrait of Prince Philip, painted by Ralph Heimans in 2017, the same year the duke announced his retirement from public engagements. The painting, which measures more than 2m wide and 1.6m high, shows him standing in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle.
A twin exhibition, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, will also go on display from 23 July.
Sign up to The Lifestyle Edit for all the latest news and features.
