Prince Philip, a man whose duty to his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, was only surpassed by his duty to the Armed Forces of Britain, passed away Friday at the age of 99.
The Duke of Edinburgh was married to the Queen for more than 70 years, but his service in the British Navy predated his relationship to the future monarch: Philip joined the Royal Navy in 1939 at the start of World War II, only a teenager at the time.
He served on the HMS Ramillies initially, moving to the HMS Valiant shortly afterward and the HMS Wallace after that. He was a searchlight control officer, acting in a pivotal role against Italian forces.
