The full birth name of the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip has surprised people in the wake of his death.

According to The Metro, Prince Philip was born as a member of the Greek royal family on the island of Corfu on June 10, 1921.

He was the only son, and fifth and final child, of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

His full name at that time was Philip (or "Philippos" as it is written in Greek) Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

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The family was exiled as a result of the Greco-Turkish war at the beginning of the 20th century, and as a young boy, Philip was educated in the United Kingdom, where he was cared for by close relatives under the auspices of Lord Mountbatten.

The Duke of Edinburgh abandoned his Greek titles and became a British subject, taking an Anglicised version of his mother’s surname of Battenberg (Mountbatten) when he agreed to marry Queen Elizabeth II in 1947.

On social media, a number of people have since taken to Twitter to express their surprise at the late Duke's full name.

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For instance, one person wrote "I hadn’t come across this gem.

"From the Guardian's obituary: 'Philip acquired British citizenship, rejecting the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg surname in favor of Mountbatten.'"

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Meanwhile, someone else commented: "So Prince Phillip did have a last name - it was von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg - well I never!"

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Another person chimed in: "I honestly thought his name was just Prince Philip."

Buckingham Palace first announced the news of Prince Philip's death at the age of 99 in an official statement made on the morning of April 9, which read:

"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

"His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

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A total of 30 guests, including Prince William, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward attended the Duke's funeral at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle - which was scaled back due to Covid social distancing restrictions.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry, will not be attending the service, owing to the advice of her personal doctors, but

While there will be no public access, the service and short procession will be televised. However, the royal family has asked that the public do not visit Windsor to pay their respects, in the interests of national health and safety during the pandemic.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy Stock Images.

Some people are surprised to learn Prince Philip's full birth name