Having rumors printed about you in the media is par for the course when it comes to being a member of the Royal Family, as everyone from Princess Diana to Meghan Markle has discovered over the years. Multiple stories about Prince Philip's alleged infidelities were printed throughout his marriage to Queen Elizabeth, but unlike Prince William or Prince Harry, he opted to stick by the old “never complain, never explain” motto.
Author Gyles Brandreth, who once worked alongside Prince Philip at one of his patronages, wrote about the late duke at length in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. The biographer noted that although Philip “was never accused of sexual assault in the way that Prince Andrew was by Virginia Roberts Giuffre,” Queen Elizabeth’s husband was often accused of infidelity.
As Brandreth wrote, Prince Philip “was subjected to a steady stream of newspaper and magazine stories about his supposed extra-marital love life” over the years. The rumors, which were addressed on The Crown, included multiple women, including his close friend, Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma.
However, unlike Prince Harry and Prince William, who have both taken legal action against the press, Philip chose a different approach. “As he saw it, suing the newspapers was not the answer,” Brandreth wrote, adding that Philip himself called it “a cumbersome and costly process” that “gives more coverage to the libel.”
“Queen’s husband in court—oh, yes? No smoke without fire…” Prince Philip added.
Philip died in 2021, so he never got to see his grandson Harry appear at the Royal Courts of Justice in his high-profile libel case, or for his ongoing security battle. But it's safe to say the late duke wouldn't have been thrilled about the resulting press.
Discussing the accusations made against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Brandreth wrote that Prince Philip once said to him, “Appearing in court as a member of the Royal Family simply isn't on.”
