His Royal Highness had a special interest in good and practical design.
In 1959 with the Design Council he introduced ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’s Prize for Elegant Design’. Since 1990 it has been known as ‘The Prince Philip Designer’s Prize for the Designer of the Year’.
Watch The Duke of Edinburgh talk about his passion for good design:
King George VI made The Duke of Edinburgh responsible for overseeing the construction of the new Royal Yacht Britannia. Sir Hugh Casson, who had been Director of Architecture for the 1951 Festival of Britain, was brought in to create the interior design for the Royal apartments, which were elegant yet comfortable and reminiscent of an English country house.
His Royal Highness realised that the site of the old Chapel at Buckingham Palace would provide, if converted into a gallery, a suitable location to put on exhibitions of selections of paintings and other works of art in the Royal Collection, and so The Queen’s Gallery was constructed in 1962.
Following the fire at Windsor Castle in November, 1992, The Duke of Edinburgh was Chairman of the Restoration Committee which supervised the restoration work and the reinstatement of the contents of the affected rooms. The completion of the work was celebrated on the 20 November 1997, the 50th wedding anniversary of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
His Royal Highness designed a number of personal items including a diamond and platinum bracelet which he gave to his wife as a wedding present. He also designed cuff links to commemorate long overseas tours which were given to members of his staff who had accompanied him.
