- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died at Windsor Castle on Friday at age 99.
- Philip pushed the royal family into the
modern age by embracing television and modernmedia . - He suggested
Queen Elizabeth 's coronation be broadcast in 1953 and approved a royal family documentary.
When Prince Philip married Queen Elizabeth II in November 1947, he joined a royal institution guided by reticence and tradition.
"The queen inherited from her father a model of monarchy that was very hands off, old-fashioned and slightly invisible," Sarah Gristwood, a historian and the author of "Elizabeth: The Queen and the Crown," told NBC News.
But Philip wanted the royal family to engage more with the British public, and despite vocal criticism, found a way to bridge the gap: television.
Philip, 99, died on Friday, and his funeral will be held on Saturday, April 17, at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The ceremony will be televised - proving Philip's work to reinvigorate the royal family through media ushered in an era of unprecedented transparency.
Prince Philip suggested Queen Elizabeth II broadcast her coronation ceremony - causing royal members and the government to balk
Ahead of Queen Elizabeth II formally taking the crown, she tapped Philip - who she fondly called her "strength and stay" - to be the chair of her coronation commission.
According to Good Housekeeping, one of Philip's first recommendations was that the coronation be televised live, but it caused a controversy among the government.
"It would be unfitting that the whole ceremony ... should be presented as if it were a theatrical performance," said Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Others questioned whether broadcasting the event would be "right and proper."
At the time, no coronation had been televised before, and attendance was typically reserved for upper-class individuals, Good Housekeeping reported. Elizabeth and The Mother Queen also voiced concerns about the unconventional suggestion, but Elizabeth eventually sided with her husband.
The televised coronation was a watershed moment for the royal family
After the televised event was announced, sales for TV sets spiked in anticipation as ordinary citizens prepared to tune in.
On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth traveled to Westminster Abbey for her coronation and allowed all but one segment to be filmed. More than 27 million people across the United Kingdom watched the event along with millions more from around the globe.
The royal family continued to embrace television in the following years
Following the coronation's success, the royal family continued to use television to connect with average citizens.
Queen Elizabeth II broadcasted her annual Christmas address for the first time in 1957, and Philip became the first family member to participate in a televised interview in 1961.
The royal family recorded a BBC documentary in June 1969
After urging from Palace press officer William Heseltine, Philip agreed to allow the BBC to film the royal family for a behind-the-scenes documentary. They hoped that the two-hour film could humanize the royal family and show Queen Elizabeth II's personality.
Smithsonian Magazine reported that the documentary, which showed scenes like Philip barbecuing sausages Balmoral Castle, received critical acclaim and fanfare.
But Buckingham Palace soon barred it from broadcast and placed it in the royal archives, meaning it cannot be shown again unless Queen Elizabeth II approves. She reportedly banned it due to some criticism the film received and speculation it could increase tabloid interest.
The royal family has adapted to the modern digital age
From The Royal Family's official Instagram account to a televised Commonwealth Day speech by the Queen, Philip's influence continues to endure more than six decades later.
While Philip has been criticized for racist remarks he made over the years, his efforts to modernize the royal family have been lauded.
"By the '80s, he had written nine books. He was the first person in the royal family to use television. He did a television documentary. He persuaded the Queen in 1957 to televise her annual Christmas message. And he even taught her how to use a teleprompter," biographer Sally Bedell Smith told CNN.
"He was the first member of the royal family to use a computer … He picked up the phone but also wrote all his own emails. He wrote his speeches. He was a man of searching intellect, great curiosity."