When you look back at those grainy black-and-white photos of the young Royal Family, there’s one thing that always jumps out. It isn't just the medals or the sharp tailoring. It’s the way the Duke of Edinburgh stood. He had this presence. He leaned in, often with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down to chat with world leaders and commoners alike. People always ask: just how big was he? The height of Prince Philip was actually a massive part of his public persona, even if we didn't realize it at the time.
He was 6 feet tall.
Honestly, that’s the short answer. But the long answer is way more interesting because height is relative. In the 1940s and 50s, standing 6 feet (around 183 cm) made you a literal giant in most rooms. Today, we’re used to seeing Prince William tower over everyone at 6'3", but back when Philip was a young naval officer, he was the one everyone had to look up to.
Why 6 Feet Mattered in 1947
We have to talk about the context. When Philip married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, the average height for a man in the UK was barely 5'7" or 5'8". Philip wasn't just "tallish." He was statistically an outlier. He looked like a Viking because, well, genetically he kind of was. His Greek and Danish heritage gave him that long-limbed, athletic frame that made him look even taller than he actually was on paper.
The Queen, for comparison, stood at about 5'4" in her prime.
That eight-inch gap is why you see so many photos where she’s looking up at him with that famous sparkle in her eye. It gave them a certain visual dynamic that the public loved. He was her "strength and stay," and physically, he looked the part. He was the broad-shouldered protector.
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The "Tall Gene" Mystery
If you’ve ever wondered why the current generation of Royals looks like a basketball team, you can thank Philip. It’s basically all his fault.
Before him, the House of Windsor wasn't exactly known for being "tall and strapping." George VI was about 5'9". George V was 5'8". Queen Victoria was a tiny 5'0". Suddenly, Philip enters the chat with his 6'0" frame and the whole family tree gets a vertical upgrade.
- King Charles III: Roughly 5'10" (actually shorter than his father).
- Prince William: A massive 6'3".
- Prince Harry: 6'2".
It's funny because Charles actually didn't inherit the full height, but he passed it along to his sons. Most royal historians and genetic hobbyists point directly to Philip’s side of the family—the Mountbattens and the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg—as the source of that height. Philip's father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, was also a very tall, lean man.
Did He Shrink?
Height is a "use it or lose it" game. By the time the Duke reached his 90s, he didn't look like a 6-foot man anymore. This is just basic biology. Gravity wins.
Most people lose an inch or two as they age because the discs in the spine compress. Toward the end of his life, Philip was likely closer to 5'10" or 5'11". But because he kept that military posture until the very end, he fooled a lot of people. He never slumped. He didn't do the "old man hunch." That rigid, Royal Navy stance kept him looking formidable even when he was nearly a century old.
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It’s also worth noting that his style helped. He was a master of Savile Row tailoring. His suits were cut to emphasize the vertical line, never baggy, always sharp. If you want to look tall, you wear what Philip wore: high-waisted trousers and perfectly fitted shoulders.
The Myth of the "Short" Prince
There is a weird corner of the internet that insists Prince Philip was shorter, maybe 5'11". This usually comes from people comparing him to world leaders who were wearing lifts or standing on boxes.
Don't buy it.
Military records from his time in the Royal Navy are pretty definitive. He was a solid 6 feet. When he stood next to John F. Kennedy (who was also about 6'0" or 6'1"), they were eye-to-eye. When he stood next to Charles de Gaulle (6'5"), he looked short, but then again, everyone looks short next to de Gaulle.
Stature vs. Stature
There's a difference between how tall you are and your "stature." Philip had a lot of both. His height gave him a natural advantage in his naval career and later in his royal duties. It’s easier to command a room when you’re literally above the fray.
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Think about the thousands of garden parties he attended. Being 6'0" meant he could see over the heads of the crowd to find the Queen or spot a person he needed to talk to. It was a practical tool for a man whose job was essentially "being seen" for 70 years.
How to Gauge Your Own "Royal" Stature
If you’re obsessed with these measurements, you can actually use the Royal family as a benchmark for your own height if you ever see them (or a wax figure) in person.
- If you're 5'4": You're the height of the Queen in her 20s.
- If you're 5'9": You're roughly the height of Princess Diana or Catherine, Princess of Wales.
- If you're 6'0": You’re the height of Prince Philip in his prime.
- If you're 6'3": You're Prince William territory.
It's a weirdly effective way to visualize history. Philip’s height wasn't just a number; it was a bridge between the smaller, more "Victorian" looking royals of the past and the modern, athletic-looking Windsors we see today.
If you want to carry yourself with the same presence Philip had, focus on the "naval stance." Keep your shoulders back, don't look at your feet when you walk, and maybe find a tailor who knows how to cut a proper double-breasted blazer. Height is a gift, but posture is a choice.
To get a real feel for how his physical presence changed the monarchy, look at photos of the 1953 Coronation versus the 2023 Coronation. The shift in "scale" is undeniable, and it all started with a 6-foot-tall Greek prince who decided to marry a future Queen.
To better understand the Duke's physical legacy, you should look into the specific height requirements for the Royal Navy during the 1930s. It’s a fascinating way to see how he measured up against his peers before he ever became a household name. You could also compare his late-life photos to his early naval portraits to see exactly how much of a difference that "military spine" made in his silhouette.