Meet the 'Princes of the Palace'

Princes of the Palace explored the male side of the British royal family, from Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip through to his great-grandson Prince George, the three year-old son of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Introduce yourself to the five princes featured in the documentary here.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Coronation portrait, June 1953, London, England.Turning 96 in June, Philip is the Prince Consort, the husband, for almost 70 years, of Queen Elizabeth II. Born in 1921 into the Greek and Danish royal families on the Greek island of Corfu, he and his family fled the country when his uncle King Constantine I was forced to abdicate in 1922. He joined the British Royal Navy in 1939 and served in World War II. In 1947, he dropped his Greek and Danish royal titles, took the surname of Mountbatten from his mother’s side, and became a naturalized British citizen in order to marry Elizabeth. His naval career ended when Elizabeth became Queen in 1952. An avid sportsman who helped establish the rules of carriage driving and who is also a pilot, he is upheld as a divine being by the natives of a village on a small Pacific island.

Charles, Prince of Wales

Tim Pigott-Smith as Charles in 'Masterpiece's' upcoming 'King Charles III.' Photo: Drama Republic for BBC and MASTERPIECENext-in-line for the throne, Charles has waited to be king for longer than any other Prince of Wales (Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch in history): he became the heir apparent when he was three years old and is now 68. Charles differs somewhat from the rest of the royal family in his love of the arts instead of sports. His passionate promotion of such various causes as traditional architecture, vegetarianism, and educational philosophy has made him a slightly unpopular figure, as did his over-publicized divorce from Diana Spencer in 1996. He is the subject of an upcoming Masterpiece film, King Charles III, which airs May 14 and was adapted from a play by Mike Bartlett that played in Chicago earlier this year. 

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

Prince William with his wife Kate and children.The eldest son of Prince Charles, William is second-in-line to the throne. He is best-known for his high-profile marriage to Kate Middleton in 2011. (In King Charles III, Middleton becomes a Lady Macbeth-like figure.) Like his grandfather and father before him, he entered military service, training to be a pilot and later flying an air ambulance. Bucking family tradition, he studied at Eton instead of Gordonstoun, the alma mater of his father and grandfather. He has two children: Prince George, born in 2013, and Princess Charlotte, born in 2015. He also serves as President of England’s Football Association.

Prince Henry of Wales

Prince Harry. Photo: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Andrew LeeBetter known as Prince Harry and easily identifiable by his red hair, his military service created a minor controversy. In 2007, he was covertly deployed to Afghanistan, but was pulled out after various publications discovered he was there. He again was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, serving this time for 20 weeks. After his military service ended, he organized the Invictus Games for injured armed services personnel and veterans.

Prince George of Cambridge

Prince George meeting former President Obama. Photo: Pete Souza/The White HouseThe youngest Prince, he is William’s first son. In 2015, at the ripe age of two, he was ranked 49^th on GQ’s list of the “50 Best Dressed Men in Britain.” The citation claimed that “Prince George looks set to become the UK’s best-dressed man.” Nothing like royal privilege.