It was Hahn’s belief that every pupil should learn seamanship and the subject Philip enjoyed most was sailing under the guidance of a retired naval officer, Commander Lewty, who led expeditions to the Shetland Islands and to the coast of Norway. Among Philip’s duties on board was that of ship’s cook. It was said he had a heavy hand with the butter when making scrambled eggs, but an interest in cooking and food has remained with him for the rest of his life. Not only did Philip greatly enjoy his days at Gordonstoun, he has given full credit to Hahn for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. He said: ‘It was Hahn’s idea though not in all its details. I would never have started it but for Hahn, certainly not. He suggested I ought to do it and I fought against it for quite a long time.’

The situation on mainland Europe continued to develop. In 1935, the monarchy was restored in Greece. As part of the arrangements that followed, the bodies of the royal family who had died in exile were returned to Greece for reburial in the family vault. For this ceremony of state, Philip was given leave of absence from Gordonstoun and joined his extended family in Athens, where he saw his mother and father together for the first time since he had left St Cloud. He spent time with his mother, who had settled into a house in Athens where she remained throughout the war, dressed always in her nun’s habit. There was a great gathering in Athens of all branches of the royal house of Greece. Cousin Alexandra reported that Philip wanted to know exactly who was who and that he was surprised to learn that he was third in line of succession to King George II of Greece, who was back on the throne after being deposed in 1924. Andrea was pressed to enter Philip for the Greek Naval College but would not contemplate it on account of the treatment he had received when banished from Greece; Philip’s future, it appeared, lay in England.

There was further trauma in Philip’s life when, in April 1938, Hahn had to break the news to Philip that George Milford Haven had died of cancer at the age of forty-five. His death had a profound effect on Philip’s life as his uncle Lord Louis ‘Dickie’ Mountbatten, the younger brother of Milford Haven, stepped in to take George’s place as a friend and adviser.