Prince Philip's association with Scotland is long- down to his royal title the Duke of Edinburgh.

Born in Greece, Philip would go onto spend countless summers as a key Royal with his wife the Queen at their summer residence in Balmoral, Aberdeenshire.

His Royal Highness would often be seen by Her Majesty's side as the pair visited local Highland Games events and attended services at Crathie Kirk.

He was also met by thousands of Scots during his decades carrying out royal roles, including the many school children who met him through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh enjoy a stroll through the grounds of Balmoral in the 1970s

The fifth child and first son of Prince Andrew and Princess Alice of Greece, was born on the 21st of April 1921, delivered on the kitchen table of his parents 'ramshackle villa, Mon Repos, on Corfu.

According to his elder sister Sophie, he was a fat baby with pure white hair.

By the time the infant prince was 18 months, his father had been charged with treason and was only saved from the firing squad by the forceful intervention of his powerful uncle, Britain's George V.

The family fled to the UK and his story with Scotland began.

His life Scotland began in his early youth with his education at the prestigious Gordonstoun school in Moray- which would eventually lead to his fateful meeting with the then Princess Elizabeth.

Prince Philip in his schooldays at Gordonstoun

Philip had a troubled childhood with his father struggling with alcoholism and his mother developing a religious mania which eventually led to periods in a Swiss clinic.

He was taught at a German boarding school Salem but with the Nazis tightening their grip on power the school was moved to Scotland and renamed Gordonstoun.

The young prince had little money left over for toys or books after his school fees were paid, it was reported.

Gordonston, under its headmaster, Kurt Hahn, was his salvation.

Queen Elizabeth II (2R), Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (2L) and their three children Prince Charles (R), Princess Anne (L) and Prince Andrew (3L) pose in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in 1960

He became ' Guardian" or head boy and later this spartan self reliant establishment which valued brawn and outdoor activity more than brain and intellectual achievement became his template for his Duke of Edinburgh award Scheme.

After Gordonstoun, he chose a career at sea and joined the Royal Navy.

He became a cadet at Dartmouth Naval College and it was there in 1939, just before the second world war broke out that he met cousin Lilibet, Princess Elizabeth, elder daughter of George V1 and heir to the British throne who was only 13 at the time.

On his first posting as a Midshipman aboard HMS Ramillies, his captain, Vice Admiral Baillie- Groham advised him that if he wished to progress in his chosen profession he would be wise to renounce his Greek citizenship and become a British citizen.

Philip assured him he had already decided to do so and added according to the Vice Admiral, " My Uncle Dickie has ideas for me - he thinks I should marry Princess Elizabeth."

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten were engaged on July 10, 1947 and this picture was taken at Buckingham Palace shortly afterwards.

Bailie-Groham asked Philip if he was fond of her.

Philip replied after a short pause, " Oh yes,very. I write to her every week."

Reluctantly, in the first summer of peace after the war, Philip by now a naval instructor, was invited to join the royals at Balmoral.

It was not altogether a successful visit, the Queen was cold while the precocious teenage Princess Margaret sneered that he wasn’t nearly good enough for a future queen while the domestic staff laughed at his second-hand, much darned dinner jacket and his lack of a bow tie.

But the King at least began to warm to him, largely because Philip turned out to be an excellent shot - and someone who could kill a hundred brace of pheasants in a morning, couldn’t, in George V1’s eyes be all bad.

By 1946, the young couple were informally engaged, although there was no down on one knee romantic proposall.

As Philip later explained, ‘One thing led to another. It was sort of fixed up.”

On her wind up gramophone, Elizabeth continually played ‘their ‘ song, “People Will Say We’re in Love, “ from the hit musical Oklahoma! until the rest of her family and the courtiers became sick of it.

In 1947, the engagement was announced and at last Elizabeth could flash the ring which had been cobbled together from old stones belonging to his mother. Afew months later on a bleak November day, lit only by the radiance of the bride’s smile, they were married.

Despite rumours of his pre-married life and flings with others it became quickly clear the young Elizabeth would be the woman for him and they married in 1947.

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A short six years later and Princess Elizabeth would become Queen of millions of people throughout the world including those of the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia among many others.

The pair undertook hundreds of tours abroad to countries across the globe with many visits to the Commonwealth.

Through their many decades they spent time at huge Scottish occasions including the opening of the Queensferry Crossing, the launching of many ships on the Clyde and were seen enjoying themselves at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

They watched sadly as the Royal Yacht Britannia, which had carried the family across the world, was retired in 1997 to Leith docks in Edinburgh- where she still resides as a major tourist attraction.

But perhaps they were happiest away from the big banquets and state dinners- enjoying the relatively spartan existence at Balmoral in Scotland's north-east.

The Aberdeenshire royal home had been built by Queen Victoria who had a fascination for all things Scots.

Her Majesty and Prince Philip took to it with both feet and support for family in the area, known as Royal Deeside due to the location of Balmoral, is high with many local businesses supplying goods to the Royal home.

Fishing on the River Dee and hunting were key pursuits of the Prince.

The Balmoral Castle Twitter page has today posted a pure black picture out of respect.