Lady-In-Waiting Details The Queen’s Past Marriage, Calling Prince Philip Her ‘Heaven-Sent Consort’

Jul 15, 2022 by apost team

On Apr. 17, 2021, Prince Philip's funeral was a quiet affair, with only 30 people in attendance due to the coronavirus restrictions. Generally, a man of Philips's stature would have received a state funeral with a minimum of 800 people in attendance, but this could not happen due to the ongoing pandemic. The guestlist of 30 people comprised the closest royal family members, which included all of Philip's children and many of his grandchildren.

Philip's passing ended his reign as the longest-serving royal consort, having served alongside Queen Elizabeth II for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 74 years in total. His singular and incredible life continues to be remembered and celebrated by his family.

Not only did the queen have to deal with Philip's passing, but just a few weeks after, on April 21, she also celebrated her 95th birthday. The birthday was a bittersweet moment, as Elizabeth was solidified as the fourth-longest reigning monarch, but this was also the queen's very first birthday without her husband.

While the prince’s passing has no doubt been a somber occasion for the queen and the entire United Kingdom, his death has also led to an outpouring of tributes, remembrances and kind words that celebrate Philip’s long and remarkable life.

In keeping with this spirit of remembrance, Tatler, the British lifestyle and fashion magazine, interviewed three royal insiders as they reminisced about Philip’s extraordinary life as an admiral in the Royal Navy, the longest-serving royal consort in history and a loyal husband to the Queen.

Prince Philip's life was a truly remarkable one. Born on June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, Philip was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Despite his roots, the prince was primarily educated in Great Britain, where he attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland and the Royal Naval College in England. 

Following his service in World War II — Philip was a pilot for the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and Pacific — he became a British subject, which meant he had to give up his claim to Greek and Danish royalty. In 1947, Philip, then 26, married then-Princess Elizabeth, who was 21, at Westminster Abbey. From then until Elizabeth’s crowning in 1953, Philip continued his military service with the Royal Navy as a commander of the Magpie, a frigate ship. 

Following Elizabeth's accession to the throne, Philip served as the consort to the Queen and played an active role as a senior member of the royal family. In 2017, at the age of 95 and after 64 years of service, Philip retired from his royal duties and removed himself from the public eye. Sadly, after his retirement, his health deteriorated. And in 2021, the prince passed away.

Philip was well known for his many personal projects during his lifetime including The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE). Nowadays, the program is present in 144 countries and offers youths of both genders chances at self-improvement by offering a variety of programs for youths aged 14 to 25.

Philip was an extraordinary man who not only had many public achievements but also private ones too. In a tender moment, the Queen once said of her husband:

"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years."

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In one of the most revealing interviews, 95-year-old Lady Prudence Penn, a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth, called Philip both a “heaven-sent consort” while also describing him as quite “practical.”

“I loved the way he would boost the Queen’s ego by telling her how lovely she looked on their way to an engagement,” Penn said of Philip’s treatment of the queen. “He knew how to bring the best out of a woman, and I am sure his advice and encouragement to her were paramount in their relationship. To my mind, the Duke of Edinburgh was a heaven-sent consort for Her Majesty in every way.”

Beyond commending Philip for his companionship with the queen, Penn also had high praise for his good looks and practical personality.

“There has been an avalanche of praise for the life and work of Prince Philip, and rightly so. In the summer of 1947, I met him for the first time and was immediately struck by the physical perfection of this fair-haired young man – such a complement to the beauty of Princess Elizabeth,” Penn told Tatler.

“He was one of the most practical men I have ever met. He was intensely interested in so many things, always curious to know more and, if possible, to make improvements,” she added.

For those who are newer to the complexities of the royal family, Lady Penn was essentially the queen’s right-hand woman, a sort of royal personal assistant. Given her privileged position and proximity to the queen, she had direct access to Philip and his relationship with the monarch.

Tatler also spoke with Philip Eade, who wrote the biography “Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life,” and Hugo Vickers, a broadcaster and Elizabeth’s biographer, both of whom had high praise for the late prince.

Eade spoke of the prince’s “breezy irreverence” and described him as “one of the most enduring public servants this country has ever seen.” Vickers seemed to agree, also commenting on the prince’s admirable work ethic as the queen’s consort and member of the royal family.

“He was totally consistent. You knew where you were with him. He cared not a jot for what people thought of him. He got on with the job,” Vickers told Tatler.

Before stepping back from his royal duties in 2017, he was considered one of the busiest royals, having had more than 22,000 solo appearances, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. However, following his retirement, his health deteriorated.

Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Feb. 16, 2021, on a precautionary basis since he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, the prince underwent surgery for a heart condition but was released in March.

Then, a month later, Philip died at age 99 on April 9th. Having been married to Elizabeth for more than 70 years, he was the longest-serving spouse of any British monarch, and his death was met with profound sadness in the UK.

“Like the expert carriage driver that he was, he helped to steer the Royal Family and the Monarchy, so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life,” said Prime Minister Boris Johnson shortly after the prince’s passing. “We remember the Duke for all of this and, above all, for his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen.”

What do you think of these remembrances of the prince? How will you remember Philip? Let us know — and don’t forget to pass this on to fellow fans of the royal family.