Prince Philip reportedly had reservations about the Queen Mother, believing her close bond with his son, King Charles, gave her an emotional influence over him that was not always beneficial.
Philip's Restrained View
Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth explored Philip's feelings towards his mother-in-law in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, drawing on conversations he had with the Duke. When Brandreth asked him about the Queen Mother around the time of her 100th birthday in 2000, Philip offered a notably restrained response: “She certainly keeps going.”
The Queen Mother was widely admired during her lifetime, with her niece Margaret Rhodes telling Brandreth: “Everybody adored her. Everybody.” Others described her as captivating and exceptionally charming, but Philip apparently took a different view.
Emotional Hold Over Charles
According to Brandreth, Philip's reservations stemmed partly from the treatment he had received from members of the Queen Mother's family when he was courting the future Queen Elizabeth in the 1940s. But another issue particularly concerned him: the Queen Mother's relationship with Charles.
Brandreth wrote that Philip felt she had an “emotional hold” over his eldest son that “wasn't always to his benefit”. Charles had developed an exceptionally close relationship with his grandmother during his childhood. Queen Elizabeth became monarch when Charles was only three years old, meaning his parents were frequently away on official tours during his formative years.
A Source of Stability
When the Queen travelled overseas, Charles would often remain with the Queen Mother, giving the pair an opportunity to develop a bond different from the relationship he had with his parents. Author Gareth Russell has previously explained that the Queen Mother's role in Charles's childhood was partly a result of the demands placed on Elizabeth after she became Queen.
“There were a lot of tours of the Commonwealth and every time the Queen had to go away, Prince Charles stayed with the Queen Mother,” Russell said. He described the pair as having a strong sense of humour and said the Queen Mother always encouraged her grandson.
Philip was known for having a more reserved personality and reportedly found it difficult at times to connect with his sensitive and artistic eldest son. Brandreth described Philip as a “cool customer” and suggested that the Duke found some aspects of his mother-in-law's personality excessive. Philip's cousin Patricia Mountbatten told Brandreth that he considered the Queen Mother “occasionally irritatingly gushing”.
Despite his reservations, the Queen Mother remained an important figure in Charles's life. For Charles, she had been a source of stability during the early years of his mother's reign and someone with whom he shared a particularly close relationship. For Philip, however, that same closeness appears to have been a source of concern.
