[April 13, 2021] To do your duty is an admirable trait. It helps hold us together as humans and creates social bonds that allow trust to develop. To highlight this fact may seem a bit obscure in the age of “evolving values,” but it is necessary to understand the significance of Prince Philip, a man who epitomized “duty to country.”
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away last week at 99, just two months shy of his 100th birthday. He was a remarkable man for many reasons, notwithstanding that he married then-Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) in 1947.1
“Everyone has to have a sense of duty. A duty to society, to their family. I mean, you name it.” – Prince Philip
Philip graduated at the top of his class and was at sea for six years. He became the youngest lieutenant in the British Navy, won the Greek War Cross, and was mentioned in London’s dispatches.2 One night in 1943, he saved his ship and his crew by improvising a plan to distract the German bombers that would have blown them up. He didn’t talk about that; he was doing his duty.
When Philip married Elizabeth, he formally became the Duke of Edinburgh, the father of a future king, and he played a secondary role to his wife for the next 73 years. Philip exchanged a life of action in the Navy for one of service. He completed 22,219 solo engagements and 5,493 speeches before he retired at the age of 96. We are told that he bristled against the arrogance of British stiff-upper-lip protocols, but he did his job because that is what you did.
Philip indeed exchanged a life of action in the Royal Navy to support Elizabeth II. He supported his country and did so with minimum disruption. Remember it was Philip who recognized the changing times and brought television cameras into Buckingham Palace. He was the one who supported Diana when she was alone in the royal family. But Philip had it harder.
Philip did the right thing because that is what people did in his day. More of us should look at his life of service and pause, just for a moment, to recognize him for the honor he bestowed upon England. He did his duty.3
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- They met in September 1939 while Princess Elizabeth’s father was inspecting a British Navy base shortly after the break out of World War II.
- Much of this article is taken from the NY Post article here: https://nypost.com/2021/04/09/prince-philips-life-was-hard-he-did-his-duty-and-it-was-a-lesson-to-us-all/
- ABC News has done a good job of showing Prince Philip’s photos through the years. You can find them here: https://abcnews.go.com/International/photos/prince-philip-years-15227807/image-54530291
I agree, doing one’s duty is one of those core values (like in today’s article).
“Philip exchanged a life of action in the Navy for one of service. ” I re-read this sentence to make sure I understood but now I will have to say I disagree with it. True, he was taken out of the British Navy (since his position was so important or at least out of danger). But he still had a “life of action” in service to his country by doing so much as a part of their royalty. This is still service and sometimes even harder than being in a war. He did spend his time in WWII as part of the Navy and did well.
RED, great to hear from you again. You know that we are all waiting for your next article? Right! Great comment.
Well said, Red. And a good argument. I believe Philip had love on his mind as well. That strikes to the heart of men as much as action and adventure.
Yes, great to hear from Sadako “Red”. One of my favorite guest writers. I also agree that Prince Philip did not sacrifice a “life of action” to be second fiddle to Queen Elizabeth. He knew that he wanted to serve his country and he did.
There are men and then there are real men. Prince Philip is one of those genuine real men. He live his life for the good of his country. We can now only honor and respect him for what he did.
Excellent article on a very popular man. Thank you Gen. Satterfield for highlighting him for us.
Prince Philip, my kind of guy. You don’t find men like him much any more. Todays’ “man” is a weenie – soft, emotional, weak (physically and mentally), and would rather dress up in a tutu than do something manly. Be a man, guys! Stick up for what is right and what is good. Don’t fall for the PC leftists, pinko commie propaganda. Be a real man!
Ha Ha, great comment Pooch T and welcome to the forums section. I hope you keep coming back to learn more from all of us.
Welcome Pooch. All that goes well here will help you become a better leader and more importantly a better person. Today’s article on Prince Philip is just one example. Glad you are taking the time to post.
Few of us get the opportunity to do what he did but the one thing often overlooked is that he did his duty with flair and without complaint. That is more than our college snowflakes do today. These snowflakes are in a constant state of whine. 👍 I am a fan of Prince Philip and so should all that respect leadership and doing one’s duty.
The problem here is that one’s “duty” is not something everyone can agree upon. And, that of course, is not necessary. But in the case of Prince Philip, duty was generally agreed upon and very much desirable. That is why we salute the man who made the British feel better about themselves and a look back in time to when honor actually meant something.
Well said, Max. Yes, doing one’s duty is important not just for one’s self but also for the family and community. In this case, also for the nation.
Prince Philip was a real man! Period. He was also top notch in his navy class and was actually going somewhere in the Brit Navy. Good for him. I’m sure it was not easy giving it up to marry a princess and play second fiddle.
Yep. I liked the man from what I saw. 99 years old. Great achievement.
Hardly any other way to put it. Prince Philip was a man’s man. Just because he was dressed in fine clothes does not detract from that fact.
“He did his duty.” That is what makes the world work properly. As long as the duty is clear and is beneficial to all, then it is the right thing to do.
I agree, we need more MEN like him. He placed himself second to his wife because it was tradition and the right thing to do. If the roles were reverse, I’m sure Elizabeth would have done the same. I’m not a person to ask about British monarchy but whatever their traditions are, that is good enough for me. 👍