Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh

The Duke Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh is His Majesty The King’s brother and the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He dedicates much of his time as a full-time working member of the Royal Family to championing young people and promoting the benefits of non-formal education across the world.

As well as undertaking official duties in support of His Majesty – often alongside his wife The Duchess of Edinburgh – The Duke carries out a busy schedule of engagements across the UK and overseas for his charities and patronages.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been a focus of The Duke of Edinburgh’s life and work for four decades since achieving his own Gold Award in 1986.

Founded by Prince Philip in 1956, The Award helps young people build their confidence and develop key life skills in order to reach their full potential. Today nearly half a million young people are actively doing their DofE in the UK and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is operating in more than 130 countries.

The Duke has played a leadership role in the Award’s development in the United Kingdom and overseas over many years, taking on many responsibilities for its charities from his father. He has been a Trustee of the UK charity since 1988, of the International Award since 2006, and was chair of its International Council for seventeen years. In 1999 His Royal Highness established the International Special Projects Group to broaden the Award’s reach, particularly to the most marginalised young people in society. The Duke continues to serve as Chairman of Trustees for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation – a position he has held since 2015.

In these roles, The Duke travels widely within the UK and across the globe to support the Award – meeting young participants, thanking the volunteers who make their achievements possible and hosting Gold Awards Celebrations.

Youth causes are close to The Duke’s heart and promoting development opportunities for young people is a theme running through much of his work. In 2020 The Duke was asked by his father to become Patron of the charity London Youth, a network of youth clubs which was the first patronage held by Prince Philip.

The Duchess of Edinburgh

A full-time working member of the Royal Family, The Duchess of Edinburgh splits her time between her work on behalf of The King across the UK and Commonwealth and support for a large number of her own charities and organisations.

Much of the day-to-day working life of The Duchess of Edinburgh is dedicated to her role as Patron of over 70 charities and organisations. Each year, Her Royal Highness undertakes hundreds of visits to schools, hospitals, military bases, charities and community groups to see their work first-hand and to highlight it to the wider world.

The Duchess’s Patronages reflect her wide range of interests which include supporting young people and children in need of additional care, supporting people with disabilities, the elimination of avoidable blindness and championing the sight loss community, as well as agriculture and gender equality. Over the past years, Her Royal Highness has also committed to raising awareness for the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls, and the positive role women play in building peace.

Equality for Women

Her Royal Highness concentrates much of her work on supporting women and championing gender equality, be it in the workplace or in other areas of society, both in the UK and overseas.

Women in the Workplace

The Duchess advocates for gender equality and inclusion in the workplace through her involvement with 100 Women in Finance, the Women’s Network Forum and The Duke of Edinburgh Award’s Women in Business Committee.

In May 2021, Her Royal Highness became Patron of Wellbeing of Women, the women’s health charity dedicated to saving and changing the lives of women, girls and babies. Led by women’s voices, Wellbeing of Women improves health and wellbeing across a woman’s life course through research, education and advocacy. The Duchess attended a virtual roundtable discussion held to launch the charity’s Menopause Workplace Pledge, to mark World Menopause Awareness Month, in October 2021.

Young people and children

The Duchess of Edinburgh has a strong personal interest in the provisions for people with disabilities and embracing opportunities for young people, championing both local initiatives such as Disability Initiative in Surrey as well as national charities such as the NSPCC.