In November 1952 Prince Philip began flying lessons with Royal Air Force flight instructors and he made his first solo flight a month later. The above photograph shows Prince Philip’s solo flight over Windsor Castle in a Harvard Advanced Trainer on 4 May 1953, the day he was presented with his wings. He recorded the flight in his log book, which is bound with his personal badge of Edinburgh Castle surrounded by the motto of the Order of the Garter.

Between 1952 and 1997, when Prince Philip relinquished his licence, he logged 5,986 flying hours in 53 types of fixed-wing aircraft, and 12 types of helicopter.