Great Britain’s Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died yesterday at the age of 99. He has been referred to as a sailor prince. The grandson of an admiral of the fleet and first sea lord, he was commissioned as a midshipman in the Royal Navy at 19. He would earn decorations for valor during World War II. 

The Duke was a patron for many charities and causes but may be best remembered by the nautical community for his efforts to save and restore the world’s only remaining tea clipper, the Cutty Sark.

ITV.com raises the question: Would the Cutty Sark be in southeast London if it wasn’t for the Duke?

“Quite probably not – without his vision and passion perhaps the ship would not be here today if it wasn’t for him,” said Dr Kevin Fewster, former Director of Royal Museums Greenwich.

It was once one of the fastest ships in its day, but in 1953 it was at the end of its life in the water. The clipper was taken over by the Duke of Edinburgh as President of the Cutty Sark Preservation Society.

Dr Fewster says: “He was the one that really drove that campaign to see the ship preserved and displayed in Greenwich so he was with her every step of the way.

“He had such strong links to the sea, and I think for him the Cutty Sark represented so much about man and the sea and the great age of sail.”

“And so Cutty Sark is in many ways the last of those ships and one of the most famous sailing ships in the world. And so I think for him it encapsulated many of those values. And so he saw a great need and opportunity to preserve the ship for all time,” he added.

The Sailor Prince: How Philip Saved The Cutty Sark

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.