Prince Philip: A Celebration
Holyrood Palace exhibition charts Duke’s colourful Royal life
Asummer exhibition featuring paintings and articles which were important to HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has opened at Holyrood Palace. His legacy is commemorated in “Prince Philip: A Celebration” - first planned for the Duke's 100th birthday which sadly he did not live to celebrate, and is a partner exhibition to one at
Windsor Castle.
The exhibition runs until 31 October and is included in the palace admission ticket, while a book related to the exhibition is available in the gift shop.
Included in the dsiplay is a pennant which bears his standard showing one quadrant with three lions for England, and, representing his family ties: the hearts of Denmark, the cross of Greece, pails or batons for his family name Mountbatten, along with a depiction of Edinburgh Castle.
Prince Philip had many strong connections to Edinburgh - not the least of which was his title which was bestowed upon him on the eve of his marriage to then Princess Elizabeth. Items from the Royal
Wedding in 1947, including the wedding invitation, order of service and wedding breakfast menu, are set out in one of the display cases.
Among the treasures on display is the silver-gilt casket presented to His Royal Highness with the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh in 1949, on public display for the first time. One of his earliest visits with his new wife-to-be was a trip to Edinburgh. On receiving the Freedom he made a speech recalling his memories of going to the “Burg”, as he and his naval colleagues called the capital. He was stationed briefly at Rosyth, and talked of the warm welcome which
Scotland gave to servicemen during the war. The casket was made by city jewellers Hamilton & Inches.
Another item on display is a silver windmill which he received as a gift from J. Arthur Rank on a visit to Caledonia Flour Mills in Leith. Mr Rank was better known for his career in film than the Leith flour mill owned by his family where he received the Duke of Edinburgh. There is a very interesting and really clear Pathé film of the visit to Edinburgh of the 1955 visit which can be found on Google.
Visitors will be able to admire the silver model of HMY Britannia presented to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh by Lloyd's Register of Shipping in 1972 and Sir Hugh Casson's original design sketches for the yacht's sun lounge and dining room. Although King George VI commissioned the yacht it was very much finished to a design for Prince Philip and HM The Queen. The Duke travelled on HMY Britannia to undertake his first solo overseas tour in 1956-7, opening the Olympic Games in Melbourne before visiting the Antarctic. Prince Philip's copy of the programme from the Olympic Games is on display, alongside two paintings by the artist Edward Seago, who accompanied the Prince on the tour and is believed to have been the first professional artist to paint views of the Antarctic. The Royal Yacht Britannia is now very much at home in Leith, is open to visitors, and has won all manner of awards.
Prince Philip was educated in Scotland at Gordonstoun and the foundations for the Duke of Edinburgh Award arose from his relationship with the school's founder and headmaster Kurt Hahn. Hahn suggested establishing a programme helping young people to achieve their potential through physical activity, and supporting their local community. More than six million young people in the UK have taken part in the scheme since its inception in 1956.
The exhibition closes with a range of paintings from Prince Philip's personal collection. He visited the
Royal Scottish Academy from the 1960s onwards, and bought paintings which were hung in the private apartments in Holyrood and other royal residences. One of the paintings on show is by Victoria Crowe, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, and show His Royal Highness's interests in landscape and wildlife.
Prince Philip: A Celebration is part of a visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse until 31 October.