Why isn't Prince Philip king?

Answer 1

A King in the UK is a male sovereign, a man who inherits the throne. At the moment, it is Elizabeth II who is the sovereign, not her husband. So that he is not given a title that is 'higher' than the actual ruler, in the UK his position is called a Prince Consort.

Answer 2

The consort of a female Monarch is never, in the United Kingdom, accorded the courtesy title of 'King Consort', although the wife of a male Monarch is! Thus, the husband of Queen (subsequently Empress) Victoria remained Prince Albert, whereas the wife of their eldest son, King Edward VII was accorded the title Queen Alexandra (even though she was a Danish princess). It is not foreign blood that is at issue, but rather British custom. For example, the daughter of an Earl is accorded the courtesy title 'Lady', whereas male offspring are merely the 'Right Honourable Mr'. Thus, Earl Spencer's daughter was Lady Diana Spencer (from birth and until she married Prince Charles), whereas her brother was plain Charles Spencer (although as the only male sibling, he has now inherited his father's title, and is the present Earl Spencer). Similarly, the wife of a knight (Sir Winston Churchill, for example) automatically becomes 'Lady......', but the husband of a Dame remains 'Mr'.

Although born on the Greek Island of Corfu, Philip is a Great-Grandson of Queen Victoria, and has English, Danish, German, and Greek ancestry. However, he was educated in the United Kingdom (at Gordonstoun) and later became a British Naval Officer and was several times commended for valour in World War II. He became a naturalized British citizen in the mid 1940s.

The Queen, in order to show publicly the rôle he plays, often Behind the Scenes, as her Consort, issued a decree in the 1960s that her name, and that of her direct descendants would henceforth be Mountbatten-Windsor, rather than simply 'Windsor'. (Prince Philip's family name is Mountbatten). She has also declared publicly (in a speech given at her Golden Jubilee) that both she and the United Kingdom and Commonwealth 'owe him a debt he would never claim, and deeper than we shall ever know'. Tactless he may be, but it is generally recognized that he is a hands-on Consort, who does much to alleviate the burden she carries.