Prince Philip, the Queen Elizabeth II’s husband has passed away at the age of 99. The Duke of Edinburgh, who has been a part of the Royal household since he tied the knot with Queen Elizabeth in 1947 has some well buried stories that not many know of.
Here are some of his darkest secrets revealed:
1. Prince Philip’s father, Prince Andrew was the King of Greece’s brother. But when his uncle was removed from the throne, it forced the family to flee. Prince Philip escaped in a fruit crate when he was just 1.
2. Prince Philip, like many other royals, had no last name. He was called Philip of Greece his entire childhood, since he had no surname. But when he became a British citizen before marrying Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip took his maternal uncle, Dickie Mountbatten’s, last name.
3. He was a devoted father partially because when he was a child, his father, Prince Andrew abandoned his family and spent the rest of his days with his mistresses in the south of France.
4. Prince Philip’s mother, Alice Battenberg, was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. This makes Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth distant cousins.
5. When Prince Philip was 9 years old, his mother was committed to a mental institution. She was later diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Prince Philip didn’t reunite with his mother until 1967, when she lived out the last days of her life in the Buckingham Palace.
6. He was the youngest of five siblings and by the time he was 10 years old, all of his sisters were married. They tied the knot with German aristocrats and some were even Nazis. Which is why, when Prince Philip got married, he did not invite that side of the family.
7. Prince Philip was allegedly part of a lunch club which reportedly enjoyed “rip-roaring stag parties.” Some rumours even suggest that he served dinner to some guests once. Wearing only a mask and a tiny lace apron, earning him the name “The Naked Waiter.”
8. It is said that on their 50th wedding anniversary two decades ago, Prince Philip gave a toast to his wife, hinting towards his infidelity. He said, “I think the main lesson we have learnt is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient in any happy marriage… You can take it from me; the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.”
9. The biggest scandal of his life has been the alleged involvement in the death of Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997, along with her lover. Her lover’s father claimed that Prince Philip had ordered Princess Diana’s death.
Which secret shocked you the most?