The beloved husband of the Queen Elizabeththe Prince Philipwas signed with the surname Mountbatten, the one who had adopted his maternal grandfather, German naturalized English. And for everyone it is, even today that it no longer exists, the Duke of Edinburgh. But when he was born, in Corfu on June 10, 1921, Philip had the title of Prince of Greece and Denmark.
His father was indeed Prince Andrew of Greeceseventh son of the king George I of Greece. Destined never to ascend the throne, he had a rather secluded role in the life of the royal family, and he has remained one rather faded figure also for fans of royal events.
If indeed Alice of BattembergFilippo’s enigmatic mother, became familiar to the general public thanks to the series The Crown who painted one charming portrait in the third season, Very little has always been said and written about Andrea di Grecia. Also because in the life of his son Filippo he was not very present.
In reality, from an early age, Andrea seems to deny the future as a follower for which he is destined. He is a boy decisive, brilliant, studious. He is fluent in English, French, Danish and Russian, as well as his native Greek which is the only language he accepts to speak in his family. From strong character and from strong temperthe military career that was intended for him from birth seems to fit him perfectly. And in fact he successfully attends the military academy of Athens to enter as official in the army at the age of 19, in 1901.
The meeting with the future wife takes place the following year in London: it’s love at first sight. Alice, daughter of the prince Louis of Battenberg and the princess Victory of Hessegreat granddaughter of Queen Victoriais of one disarming beauty. He isn’t quite as charming, yet she is the one who falls madly in love.
You regularly write long letters for months and they married in 1903 in Germanywith a sumptuous wedding which follows three rites: that civilthat Lutheranand that Greek Orthodox. Sumptuous are also the gifts of the guests (that is to say all the European Gotha) among which one stands out tiarareceived by the Tsar, worth over $ 14 million, which would later be transformed into the engagement ring given by Philip to his fiancée Elisabetta.
Children arrive early: Margarita, Theodora, Cecilia, Sofia and finally Philip, the smallest. It seems that they must crown a fairytale love, but Andrea is devoted to a career and besides, he is not quite what they call a faithful husband. To make matters worse, history also takes place, the one with a capital S. In 1913 King George I is assassinated and his son Constantine succeeds him on the throne. World War I is upon us and soon the situation worsens. Being brother-in-law of the Kaiser WilliamCostantino declares himself neutral and Andrewwhich goes back and forth with the UK, he is accused of spying on behalf of Germany. Meanwhile, the Russian Revolution breaks out and the Bolshevik winds are also blowing in the direction of the Balkans. King Constantine abdicates in favor of his son Alexander and leaves Athens.
Andrea and his family also leave Greece and take refuge in Switzerland, but, after the Great War, Greece enters into conflict with Turkey. It’s a rout and in 1922 Andreawho had fought after returning from Switzerland, he is again forced into exile. Those are years in which he not only distances himself from his homeland but also, increasingly, from his family.
The wife, who was consoled by the constant absences of her husband with her works of charity, discovers faith. While he, who in the meantime has settled in Paris, enjoys the Roaring Years between lovers and maîtresse. But that’s when Alice gets interned in mental hospital in 1930 that the family falls apart completely: the eldest daughters marry and all go to live in Germany with their German (and Nazi) husbands, and little Philip is sent to Scotlandin the very strict Gordonstoun School to gain experience. They will no longer gather together until the funeral of Cecilia, who died in a plane crash in 1937.
At that time, Prince Andrew has already found another woman, Countess Andrée de la Bignewith which went to live on the French Riviera: he is still legally married to Alice, but another war is about to break out and these are times when the scandals appear less serious. He does not even have a problem with his children, who he leaves to fight on opposite sides: Philip for the British navy and his brothers-in-law for Hitler.
He will hardly see them again until his death in 1944. To his son Filippo he will leave only his signet ring and a debt of over 17 thousand pounds.
Source: Vanity Fair
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