Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1939, first serving as a midshipman aboard HMS 'Ramillies' in 1940, in the Indian Ocean. He was mentioned in dispatches the following year for his command of HMS 'Valiant'’s searchlight control. In 1942, aged 21, he was commissioned Lieutenant and he commanded HMS 'Magpie' as a Lieutenant-Commander from 1950. In 1952, the year he became a Commander, the death of his father-in-law, King George VI, ended his active service career. He has, however, always maintained close links with the Royal Navy. From 1948 until 2000 he was an active Trustee of the National Maritime Museum, and then its Patron until his death in 2021, aged 99. This portrait, completed in 2008, was commissioned by the Friends of the Museum. It commemorates the 60th anniversary of his close association with the Museum.