Prince Philip is 99 today, locked-down in semi-isolation with the Queen at Windsor. Since his retirement from public life three years ago he has lived mainly at Sandringham, 100 miles away, and this is the longest they have spent together in years.
He was born 10 June 1921 (with an unverified birth time) in Corfu, Greece, into a European Royal family, his father Prince Andrew having claims to the thrones of Greece and Denmark and his mother, Princess Alice, being a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Having been exiled in the aftermath of WW1 the family settled in France, his older sisters married pro-Nazi Germans, his mother was hospitalised with schizophrenia and his father retired to Monte Carlo. Philip was educated partly in England, then in Gordonstoun, Scotland at a school, whose Jewish founder Kurt Hahn had fled Nazi persecution. After which he went into the British navy and served during World War 11.
Elizabeth fell in love with him when she met him aged 13, he proposed when she was 20 and they married a year later in 1947.
Philip is a feisty, assertive and none-too-patient Sun Mars in Gemini square Saturn in hard-working Virgo. His tendency to speak too abruptly comes also from Mercury conjunct Pluto trine Uranus. Pluto adds intensity and Uranus has a reputation of being outspoken.
In some ways he is not unlike his mother Princess Alice, 25 February 1885, who was a Sun Mars in Pisces opposition Jupiter in Virgo square Pluto in Gemini with Saturn also in Gemini – so highly Mutable and scattered.
Queen Elizabeth is the exact opposite with an incredibly Fixed and enduring chart. She would offer stability and his Venus in Taurus in an affectionate conjunction to her Sun and both sharing Moon Neptune in Leo, there would be resonances. Though it wasn’t always the easiest of matches with his Sun Mars square her Uranus for differing agendas. On the other hand his Sun Mars falls in her 5th so children will be a strong connection, as well as sport; and he’d liven her up to have fun and play more than she might otherwise.
His father Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark was a Sun Venus in Aquarius, with a stellium in Taurus of Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Pluto and perhaps a Leo Moon – so in many ways Philip’s parents had the same kind of marriage – one partner incredibly Fixed and the other incredibly Mutable.
Philip and the Queen’s relationship chart has a passionate composite Venus trine Pluto and a smoothing-rough-edges Venus trine Jupiter which would bring a strong bond. Though there’s also a bad-tempered, restrictive composite Mars opposition Saturn indicating a one-sided relationship where one partner has to sacrifice a good deal of their identity to make it work.
Their wedding chart was in part delightful with Venus and Jupiter both trine Pluto and sextile Neptune; and the other part quite horrific with a composite Mars Saturn opposition Moon square Sun so considerable amounts of aggravation and resentment ahead.
Philip’s relationship with Princess Anne was always easier than with Charles. Philip’s Leo Moon is conjunct Anne’s Sun and his Jupiter in conjunct her Moon and his Venus falls in her 7th – good cross overs. With Charles there is a connection with Philip’s Venus conjunct Charles 10th house Moon but otherwise it’s not so harmonious. Their composite chart has a Sun, Mercury, Saturn, Neptune and a Moon square Mars – so suspicious, undermining and irritable.
Though admittedly it would be an impossible relationship for Philip who had already had to step back and down because of the Queen’s position; and an eldest son, who would assume prime importance would be another sacrifice for him to make.
He is a great, despite those gaffes, but always bubbled a little with resentment at his position. Not so much now as he is mellower with age.