Tony Abbott’s controversial decision to knight Prince Philip before his death

Former prime minister Tony Abbott sparked controversy when he made the decision to knight Prince Philip.

IT was not so much a case of the Queen not amused but more Prince Philip and the royal family bemused when in April 2015 she was forced to present her husband with his “Australian knighthood”.

His nomination was made by the then Australian Prime Minister and passionate monarchist Tony Abbott and accepted by the Queen for the Duke’s serving the nation “with distinction” as patron of 800 organisations.

The move labelled a “knightmare” attracted fierce public and political criticism and contributed to the ousting from the Lodge of Abbott who would later concede his “captain’s call” to give the honour was “injudicious” and a mistake.

This was despite speculation it was the royal household and the Queen herself that asked for the re-introduced Australian honour for her husband since Prince Charles had had one awarded in 1981.

Tony Abbott greets Britain's Prince Philip following a British D-Day commemoration ceremony in 2014. Picture: AFP

Later that year Australian knights and dames were scrapped from the honours list with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull labelling them “anachronistic and out of date” and something that should not have been reintroduced by Abbott as he did a year earlier in 2014 nearly 30 years after they were abolished in 1986.

But none the less the award attracted huge support in Britain with a public poll declaring the popular Prince Philip as deserving of as many honours as he could get his hands on, and he had a few with more than 50 honours and titles including from Australia after he had already been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (military division) during Australia’s bicentenary in 1988.

Queen Elizabeth II presents Prince Philip with the Insignia of a Knight of the Order of Australia. Picture: AFP/Getty

In essence most British press used the awarding of the latest Australian gong as an excuse to re-run the duke’s best gaffes over the years.

Australia’s then High Commissioner to the UK and former Liberal Cabinet minister Alexander Downer who was present at Windsor Castle for the “awarding” declined to buy into the controversy but when asked at the time cheekily said: “I’m now a diplomat, I soar above the world of politics”.

“Obviously nowadays having spent many a long year engaged in political controversies, I now eschew them.”

Jolly odd show: The Courier Mail front page on 26 January 2015. Picture: News Corp

Knightmare: The Daily Telegraph front page 26 January 2015. Picture: News Corp

The Duke had multiple awards, honours and titles including being a baron, an earl, Lord High Admiral, Grand Master of the British Empire, Knight of the Order of the Elephant in Denmark, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, a Knight of the Thistle, Knight of the Garter, he was made a Knight Grand Cross with Brilliants of the Order of the Sun by Peru in 1962 and was awarded the Collar of the Order of the Queen of Sheba by Ethiopia in 1954, the Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle by Mexico in 1964 and a member of Brunei’s Family Order since 1972.

Originally published as Tony Abbott’s controversial decision to knight Prince Philip before his death