[HPFGU-OTChatter] Legal names and signatures

[Shaun Hately]

On 15 Sep 2006 at 21:44, Jordan Abel wrote:

> Shaun:
> > The Prince of Wales is entitled to sign his name followed by a P - for Princeps (so Charles P)
> > at present, but other British princes do not do this.
> 
> How does Prince Philip sign? You'd think he'd get something special
> like that for being married to the Queen.

Simply as Philip - due to his status as a Prince of the United Kingdom.

Philip really isn't entitled to anything special from being married to the Queen. He is 
sometimes referred to as a Prince Consort, but this is somewhat nebulous under British 
traditions - the only man ever to be officially given that title is Queen Victoria's husband, 
Prince Albert.

Philip was born a Prince - of Greece and Denmark, a title he held until 18th March 1947, at 
which point he renounced these titles so he could marry (then) Princess Elizabeth. Up until 
that point, his signature was Philippos.

>From 18th March 1947to 18th November 1947, he was a commoner, and his signature would 
have been Philip Mountbatten. He was kinghted on the 18th November (made a Knight of the 
The Most Noble Order of the Garter) and until the 20th was Sir Philip Mountbatten (he 
was given the style of His Royal Highness on the 19th November, but this would not have 
effected his signature) and was created Duke of Edinburgh on the 20th - at this point his 
signature was properly 'Edinburgh', though I believe he used 'Philip' and nobody objected. In 
1957, he was made a Prince of the United Kingdom, and from that day onwards, he has been 
fully entitled to sign himself as Philip.

Basically the husband of a Queen Regnant has no automatic entitlement to any title in Britain. 
Philip's current titles were granted to him by his father-in-law, or by his wife.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
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