King Charles to honor Prince Philip’s selfless act and ensure his father won’t be forgotten at coronation

King Charles will honor Prince Philip’s selfless act and ensure his late father won’t be forgotten at his coronation with a very special detail. 

• His Majesty has personally selected the music for his coronation on May 6 and there’s a special inclusion set to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. 
• Prince Philip’s heritage will be celebrated with Greek Orthodox music after he gave up his princely title and religion when he married Queen Elizabeth. 
• This royal news comes as we revealed the travel essential King Charles will never need again for overseas engagements.   

With King Charles’ coronation day drawing nearer the plans for many important aspects, from Queen Camilla’s coronation crown to the specific details of the procession back to Buckingham Palace have now been confirmed. Of course, fans still have to wait to learn which members of the immediate and extended Royal Family could be at the ceremony amid speculation over whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in particular could attend. 

However, for those who are there at Westminster Abbey it’s set to be an emotional occasion in more ways than one. His Majesty has personally selected the coronation music and King Charles will honor Prince Philip’s selfless act with it. 

Alongside 12 newly commissioned pieces of music which includes a Coronation Anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Greek Orthodox music will be part of the ceremony. Although it’s not specified which pieces of Greek Orthodox music could be played, a statement from the Palace confirmed that this choice was specifically made as a tribute to Prince Philip. 

Just weeks before King Charles’ coronation will be the two-year anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing. Better known by his British titles later in life, he was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1921 on the island of Corfu.

As per The Independent (opens in new tab), he was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church but the family went into exile when Prince Philip was just 18 months old. Prior to his marriage to the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Prince Philip had adopted the Mountbatten name from his mother’s family and renounced his title as Prince of Greece and Denmark in favor of becoming a British citizen.

He also gave up the Greek Orthodox faith he was baptized into to be officially received into the Church of England a month before he and the Queen tied the knot.

This selfless act of devotion to Her Majesty and the UK and the Commonwealth she served as Sovereign was huge. He only became a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957 after the Queen issued letters patent and he went on to become the longest-serving British consort. 

King Charles’ decision to honor Prince Philip with music that celebrates his father’s heritage especially given that the Duke of Edinburgh renounced his title and changed his religion as he dedicated himself to the Queen and UK is very significant.  

According to the Greek City Times (opens in new tab), King Charles spoke of his links to Greece in 2018 during a visit to the country and referenced Prince Philip’s own father Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.

“For my part, my own connections to Greece have particular meaning – after all, it is the land of my grandfather,” he declared. “In Britain, as across the Western World, the profound influence of Greece has, since ancient times, shaped the way we think, the way we build, the way we learn and the way we govern.”