Article content Queen Elizabeth II’s consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, brought an outsider’s perspective to the royal family and played a key role in the modernization of the monarchy in the 20th century. He was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark on the island of Corfu and fled Greece amidst political upheaval with his parents, Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg and four elder sisters. While the future Queen Elizabeth enjoyed a peaceful childhood and an education at home, Prince Philip first attended elementary school in Paris, then boarding school in England and Scotland. The Gordonstoun school in Scotland emphasized outdoor education and this ethos would inspire much of his later philanthropic work, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program.