When it comes to breaking royal traditions and modernising the monarchy, Prince Philip has always been ahead of the game, and now his grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry are following in his footsteps.
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According to 2011 biography Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life, the Duke of Edinburgh has always made a point of doing things differently as he put his own mark on his royal role.
Author, Philip Eade wrote: “Perhaps because of the premature loss of his cherished professional career, Philip seemed determined to show that he was nonetheless still a man.”
Prince Philip overhauled the public perception of the royals, and showcased a different side of the monarchy when Queen Elizabeth took to the throne, as Philip Eade explained: “He envisaged a less stuffy and more popular monarchy, relevant to the lives of ordinary people.”
The Duke of Edinburgh was also credited with influencing his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and modernising the way she ruled – beginning with her 1953 coronation, which he insisted was televised so the public could watch.
It was a great success, and was watched by 20 million people around the world at the time.
Mr Eade concluded: “Her transformation owed much to the strength and sense of stability that she derived from their marriage.”
The royal family have seen the changes put in place by Prince Philip continue through the generations, most recently with Prince William and Prince Harry and how they live their lives.
Both William and Harry have become advocates for modernising the royal family in recent years.
Prince William and Kate Middleton broke with royal tradition from the start, as she was one of the first “commoners” to marry an heir to the throne.
Most recently, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have rejected a number of royal traditions, especially since the birth of their son, Archie Harrison in May 2019.
The couple decided to snub the rest of the royals and go it alone over the festive period, spending Christmas with the Duchess of Sussex’s mother, Doria Ragland in the US, rather than with with royal family at Sandringham.
