Alan Titchmarsh has revealed that Princess Anne offered him reassurance after a challenging interview with Prince Philip. The 76-year-old gardener and broadcaster described the Duke of Edinburgh as 'tricky' during their encounter for his 90th birthday.
Titchmarsh told Woman Magazine that after the interview at Windsor Castle, Prince Philip quickly ended the session, saying, 'That it? Come on.' However, the Duke later showed Titchmarsh around the castle grounds without cameras. Following the interview, Princess Anne told Titchmarsh, 'It's not you. He won't tell us about his war,' explaining that Philip never wanted to put himself before others who had served.
Titchmarsh, who has a close bond with King Charles due to their shared love of gardening, has also had other royal encounters. Upon receiving his MBE from the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, he was 'slightly disappointed' by her question, 'Are you busy?' He told her about his work on Gardeners' World and Ground Force.
As he shook the Queen's hand, she remarked, 'Well, you give a lot of ladies a lot of pleasure.' Titchmarsh later joked to his wife that he wanted a headstone reading: 'Alan Titchmarsh MBE 1949-whenever. He gave a lot of ladies a lot of pleasure – Elizabeth R.'
