A special celebration marking what would have been the late Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday was quietly marked this week on the eve of his wife’s Platinum Jubilee.
Fields in Trust, one of Prince Philip’s longest-held patronages, held a dinner in honour of his 100th birthday on Tuesday, a delayed festivity from 2021. When Prince Philip died on 9 April, the dinner was postponed.
What made the dinner that much more poignant was that at its centre was the dining room table upon which Prince Philip was born on 10 June 1921 in Corfu, Greece.
Close friend, royal author and historian Gyles Brandreth hosted alongside actress Joanna Lumley, with a Greek-themed menu honouring Prince Philip’s heritage. Brandreth reportedly pointed out during the dinner, “Prince Philip resented the fact that when it was written about in newspapers, it was often put that he had been born on the kitchen table.”
The dining table was purchased in 1977 by Howe Robinson, a London shipbuilding company, and has been used as the company’s boardroom table ever since.
Fields in Trust was Prince Philip’s first domestic patronage following his marriage to The Queen in 1947. He took up the presidency post in 1948 and held onto it until 2013 when his grandson Prince William took over in his stead.
The charity works to protect green spaces and create greater access to parks and play areas across the United Kingdom.
The Queen’s consort for nearly 74 years, Prince Philip swore at her coronation in 1953 to be her “liege man of life and limb” and served dutifully until his retirement from public duties a few years before his death.
Though he died before his 100th birthday last year, the Royal Family came together in a poignant documentary to talk about their patriarch, calling him the “heart of the family.”
