Prince Philip: A Biography

by Ingrid Seward

Discover the full and fascinating story of Prince Philip—one of the most important, influential, and elusive royals—in this colorful and revelatory biography written by the renowned royal family expert and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine.

The son of Greek and Danish royalty, consort to the queen, and the grandfather of Princes Harry and William, Prince Philip has been at the heart of the royal family for decades—yet he remains an enigma to many.

Now, Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, brings her decades of experience covering the royal family to this fascinating and insightful biography of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, and father, grandfather, and great-grandfather of the next three kings of England. From his early childhood in Paris among aristocrats and his mother’s battle with schizophrenia to his distinctive military service during World War II and marriage to Elizabeth in 1947, Seward chronicles Philip’s life and reveals his many faces—as a father, a philanthropist, a philanderer, and a statesman. Though it would take years for Philip to find his place in a royal court that initially distrusted him, he remains one of the most complex, powerful, yet confounding members of Britain’s royal family.

Entertaining, eye-opening, and informative, Prince Philip is perfect for any anglophile and fans of the series The Crown.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Royalty, Biography Memoir, British Literature, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2020

About the author

Ingrid Seward is Editor-in-Chief of Majesty magazine, the leading monthly journal covering all aspects of British, European and other royal families around the world.

Since it began in 1980 Majesty magazine has remained the market leader in its field.

Ingrid is acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent writers and commentators on the royal family and has published over 20 books and contributed numerous articles to publications worldwide.

An experienced public speaker both in the UK and North America, Ingrid has worked for every major TV and radio station across the world. She is currently royal commentator for ABC network's Good Morning America.

Ingrid is in the unique position of knowing many members of the royal family personally and through Majesty enjoys a special relationship with the Royal Household.

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embarrassingly enough I knew nothing about Prince Philip until he died recently. I haven't seen much about him before. Some of the royal family is very visible but I feel like Prince Philip has been rather quiet. I was courious about him so I picked it up and one thing I've learned quickly is he was not a quiet man. An very interesting character and I found this book to paint the picture of a very complex man who is above all loyal to what royal family is and of course his queen. I didn't get much of the queen and prins relationship part i wanted. There must be one hell of a love story between those to and I wanna read about it! Thought the part about Diana was interesting to say the least. Gave a better picture on the drama that is today with one of his grandsons. Made me understand it a bit better. I don't know if this book made me feel any particularly way about Prince Philip. I don't hate him but he's not a new favourite person either. Haha

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prince Philip: Revealed is a biographical memoir about Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Ingrid Seward is the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine wrote this biography. With His Royal Highness' death on 9 April 2021, I thought it would be apropos to read more about him.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was a member of the British royal family as the husband of Elizabeth II.

It is a refreshingly non-hagiographic biography. Seward paints a picture of a complex figure: a man of intelligence and energy with a wide array of achievements who has also been a bad father and a difficult, cantankerous boor.

Born a prince in Greece, Philip's links to British, Danish, German, and Russian royal bloodlines were so impeccable that the fact that he came into his marriage with two suitcases of possessions to his name was no obstacle. Third cousins, Elizabeth and Philip met when they were very young – the princess at that time was utterly smitten at age thirteen.

Ever the sportsman, Philip is a very good cricketer, a world-class polo player, a race-winning yachtsman, and a world-champion carriage driver, and has flown thousands of hours in many types of aircraft. He's also a passionate conservationist, a talented interior decorator, and co-author of a philosophy book that explores existential questions.

Seward's all-seeing gaze follows the man into his rural retirement, by which time the divorces of three out of four of his children, the divorce of his first grandson, and the problems with his grandson Prince Harry and, more poignantly, his own son Prince Andrew make a depressing appraisal.

Prince Philip: Revealed is written and researched rather well. As editor of Majesty magazine, Seward has been reporting on the British monarchy for years and is perhaps one of the few people around the world that could write about them with some authority. While clearly written as pro-monarchy, Seward at times tries her best to make a balanced portrait of a man who has lived for nearly a century and married for more than seventy years.

All in all, Prince Philip: Revealed is an authoritative and thorough fare for royal watchers.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems as if there are two types of Royal biographies. The first are the “tell-all”, where all the dirty linen is dragged out. These books are usually more entertaining than the second type, which read like press releases from the subject’s palace press office. The first kind of bio is more fun but the second is probably more accurate.

Ingrid Seward is the author of quite a few books on the British royal family. Her latest is “Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century”, and is definitely a biography of the second type. There wasn’t much new in the book, and certainly nothing scurrilous was revealed. We learn about his family of birth and his family with Elizabeth, and his role inside the royal family. We learn of his hobbies and his naval career he was forced to leave after his wife succeeded to the throne at a very early age.

I didn’t get a whole lot from the Seward book, but it is well written. I can recommend it if you don’t know much about the Royal family. Just don’t expect fireworks.

[W. Whalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Inside Look at the Life of Prince Philip

The storytelling in this book is excellent and from listening to the audiobook cover to cover, I learned interesting details about the life of Prince Philip, his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and his children. One of the consistent themes is no family is perfect and has their own unique challenges and struggles. Author Ingrid Seward did detailed research and interviews to write this book.

Prince Philips’s lifelong pursuit of physical fitness and his leadership in polo, carriage driving and other sports like hunting and sailing are also detailed in PRINCE PHILIP REVEALED. Also his life-long commitment to learning and various pursuits like cooking and fishing are also a part of this fascinating storytelling. I enjoyed it and recommend it.

W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his latest 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed .

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Obviously reading this right after Prince Philip's passing makes for a very specific experience, but this was a wonderful biography. Rather than painstakingly and chronologically cataloguing his life, Seward tackles his life by theme/topic, and she does it well. (As you would expect from the former editor of Majesty magazine.) It is a wonderful look back at a well-lived life!

The one slight "negative" is that there are a few repetitive bits, where sentences are almost repeated verbatim from one chapter to the next (when a related theme).

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and entertaining look into the life of Prince Philip.

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook: The beginning of the book was interesting, then the author started to repeat herself which makes a biography lose its sparkle. I’m rather a fan of Queen Elizabeth II, and, Prince Philip so was happy enough to listen to Ingrid Stewart’s take on ‘presenting’ Prince Philip to us, yet this isn’t a book I’d really recommend to others unless they knew next to nothing about Prince Philip .... and don’t mind the repetitious factor.

[Ghost of the Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I don't have to agree with you to like you or respect you.”

― Anthony Bourdain

I have in some way shape or form "known" HRH most of my life, from the dashing naval officer who swept QEII off her feet to the gentleman in a bowler hat saying his goodbyes to public life in 2017... goodness how much he reminded me of my own much missed grandfather that day!
I am not ashamed to admit I was sad to hear of his passing and, at the same time, suddenly found myself curious to know more about him - more than just headlines about those cheeky/rude/infallible/shocking comments he excelled at all his long life.

If you decide to pick this one be warned - Don't expect a salacious book, Don't expect a subservient book.
What the author does, and very well in my own opinion, is a fair attempt at showing the many sides of this complex and fascinating man whose devotion to duty is something younger generations will never fully grasp.
In here you will find the man, the son, the husband, the (not always perfect but heck who is) father, the strength and stay of QEII over their long marriage, the philosopher, the would be engineer, the conservationist, the yes on occasion very blunt/rude Duke of Edinburgh.
Ingrid Seward has decades of writing on the topic of the royal family and long work and personal relationships with many people, so you know that what she says is accurate if not nice to hear and what she, in a quintessentially British way, hints at is also probably not far from the truth.
Many people detested the man without ever having met him, many others met him 20 years ago and adored him, but no one can deny that he was always 150% straightforward and stood his ground no matter what or whom, which in this day and age is frankly a refreshing breath of fresh air.
Perfection doesn't exist, all we can do in the end is try our damned hardest and make the most of it.
Prince Philip, as far as my meaningless opinion is worth it, made a dam good job of it and leaves a legacy, the visible side of it the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, that will impact many generations to come.
My one quibble about the book? I don't know if due to time constraints or just the author being energized by HRH's own frenetic rhythm, but at times it feels a bit rushed.

Still, its worth the time, especially if you're like me, not a expert just someone who occasionally reads the royal news.

Happy Readings!

[Tollula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a book about his early childhood but this isn’t it. Only the first 3 chapters cover his life prior to being married to Elizabeth and just glides over his family. I stopped reading at that point. The author seems to have written this in short essays as she repeats herself over and over again. She also introduces people in one section without saying who they are and how they relate to Phillip until another section.

It’s all very haphazardly put together and not really well written.

[Jackie Latham]

Its herky-jerky writing. The same facts over and over again. I've read her books before and she is fine. I don't know WTH she was doing with this book. I gave zero stars because it isn't even worth a half. Did she get a new editor? She should now. I can't believe this book was ever allowed to print.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a small fascination with the English monarchy and heard a lot about Prince Pippy over the years. Always at the Queens side but 2 steps back having given up his naval career, I wondered what that was like for him and listened to this to find out!

There was a lot in here, like a lot, some of it was a bit repetitive and it seemed to skip about so I think it could have been condensed a bit with maybe another edit?

I also don't think I learned anything new apart from a line of advice he was given which I think is pertinent for all the Royals and, in this day and age, for everyone:

'You need a skin like an elephant.'

[Julie Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting wondering how true thing's are but he had been hard childhood and school life sounded horrible. But glad he married the queen and had a great life

[Greta Halliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative, well written book on the life of Prince Phillip.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting history of Prince Philip. Good insight on his upbringing and his loyalty to the Queen and Commonwealth whole giving up much.

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving lots of private letters and information
RIP

[Carolyn Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic biography about Prince Philip focusing on his life and interests. Highly recommended.

[Judy Murray]

Well written, keeps you interested. I enjoyed it.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book following the death of Prince Philip , a man whose achievements I have always admired. The book is a good introduction to the life of a complex, multifaceted man. It does not make light of the negative aspects of his character, nor does it gloss over them but it also highlights the phenomenal sense of duty he had and the dedication he showed to his wife and the United Kingdom .
I still think of him as a man who achieved much in his life and made the best of what life had in store for him but as this book shows he was not perfect and nor did he hold himself out to be.
Perhaps a little on the simplistic side for readers who already know some detail of his life but a good starting point for those who don't and an enjoyable read nonetheless.

[Sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough biography about a multi-faceted, complex “legend.” I enjoyed some of the chapters more than others (the Ancestry chapter, as well as his later years, was fascinating!) but in other chapters, I didn’t love the writing and there were some repeated ideas which annoyed me. Maybe that’s my millennial American perspective.

Also, Philip was not a great father to Charles, and that was just so sad. I know it was the times and whatever, but good god.

[Annie Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a complex man who has tried his best to be what the Queen calls "my support and stay these many years". He only retired from public duties at the age of 96, quite an achievement. He's one of my favourite royals as I enjoy his sometimes brutal honesty, his ascerbic wit and his devotion to his duties.

[Ellie✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting, I’ve always loved learning more about our UK and European monarchs. Philip has always been a curious character to me. I’ve really enjoyed learning the details to his early life, marriage and parenthood.

I would recommend for those wanting to learn more without gossiping sections.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was somewhat fortuitous that I was reading this book when the world received the very sad news that Queen Elizabeth II had died. So much of what I was reading suddenly became very topical and enabled me to relate so well with the many tributes on the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

This biography has proven to be a very interesting account of Prince Philip’s life - his personality, his principles and standards, his interests. I actually found aspects of his personality quite amusing, he often said exactly what he thought of a situation and became much more direct with his comments as he got older. He did not suffer fools, had no time for inane conversation, and hated the media with a passion, can’t say I blame him for the latter.

One of his quips which I found quite amusing: On a visit to Gibraltar, where Philip was feeding the resident Barbary apes in the presence of a crowd of reporters, he questioned: “which are the apes, and which are the reporters?”

Making sense of the royals’ family tree was a challenge, it is quite complex. The lineage is listed at the end of the book, but I would have liked to see a diagram of the family tree to make it easier to comprehend. I did find an excellent and comprehensive read, with some lovely photos on this link: www.townandcountrymag.com/society/a20...

Of course, when Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN) married in 1947, his wife was not yet Queen, acceding to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II in June 1952 following the death of her father King George VI.

Did you know the name ‘Mountbatten’ is the anglicised form of ‘Battenberg’? It was the decision of King George V to anglicise the name in 1917. Also in 1917, the name of the royal house was changed from the anglicised German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor because of anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I. There have been five British monarchs of the House of Windsor since then: George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II, and now King Charles III.

Besides English, Prince Philip was fluent in speaking German and French. Interestingly Queen Elizabeth II and their children, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward are also fluent in the French language.

He had a great sense of humour and often saw the funny side of things. The Duke is well known for his gaffes. There are even books dedicated to them! ‘Prince Philip: A Lifetime of Wit and Wisdom’ has excellent reviews. Fun Fact: Prince Philip purportedly coined the word 'dontopedology' in 1960. His definition: 'The science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it'.

For Philip academic excellence takes second place to the development of character. “I am one of those ignorant bums that never went to a university, and a fat lot of harm it did me.” He did not consider himself an expert on any one subject, but he was very well read, and his vast self-learned knowledge was such that he could have a conversation with anyone on any topic.

Not keen on luxurious things, he would often ask for sausage and mash for dinner with a glass of lager, which was his favourite alcoholic drink.

Prince Philip had a lifelong interest in cooking, science, and engineering (his favourite subject) he was an avid photographer, a painter in watercolours and oils, and an excellent dancer.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth made their last trip to Australia on behalf of the Commonwealth in October 2011. It was their sixteenth visit to Australia; Philip was ninety and the Queen was eighty-five.

Prince Philip said that his job – first, second and last – was to never let the Queen down. His greatest achievement is to have performed his duties as consort faultlessly for almost seventy years, thus becoming the world’s longest-serving consort of a reigning monarch. The Duke was also the longest-living male British royal in history.

The Queen had the opportunity to deliver an emotional tribute to her husband on their golden wedding anniversary: “All too often I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speaking. Frequently, we have discussed my intended speech beforehand, and as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner. He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family and this and many other countries owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”

Information in the book was at times repetitive, but in saying that, it would have been an enormous task to piece such a diverse amount of information together.

It was a bonus to read about other members of the royal family, in particular Prince Charles (now King Charles III), and Queen Elizabeth II. Two more biographies to add to my ‘to read’ list! Enjoyed looking at the photos in the book too. The favourite song of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, especially to dance to, was 'People Will Say We're in Love'.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

It’s been a few weeks since I reviewed a book about the British royal family, and I’m writing this when season 4 of Netflix’s The Crown has just premiered. Have no fear, it’s time for another one! Prince Philip Revealed was released in November and is supposedly the most comprehensive biography of the Duke of Edinburgh’s life.

Prince Philip Revealed is an interesting and informative book about the man who always has to stay two steps behind his wife. The book gives much insight into the early life of Philip. His ancestry can be tied to the Danish and Russian royal families, and his family was installed as Greek royalty. His early life was settled in Paris until the age of 8, when he was sent to boarding school in Great Britain.

Philip’s early life and family connections were explored. His father was forced into exile, his mother had mental health problems and was almost deaf since birth, his older sisters all married German men, some of whom ranked rather high in the Nazi hierarchy. But Philip, being mostly raised in England, wanted to become an English citizen.

Philip was a revelation to the British royal family when he started spending time with them. Young Princess Elizabeth claims to have fallen in love with him when she was 13, and that love only deepened as they corresponded when she got older and he was stationed on a British naval ship during World War II. King George was not too keen on Philip because of his family situation, but the Queen Mother seemed to have no problems while Elizabeth and Philip were courting. She’d have problems with him later on, though.

Fiercely ambitious, Philip thought he’d have years in the royal navy and had just been given command of the ship Magpie when King George fell ill and he and Princess Elizabeth had to take on more royal duties. In Prince Philip Revealed, the Duke of Edinburgh, as he’s also known, is shown as someone who modernized the monarchy when his wife rose to position of Queen.

One thing’s for sure: Philip was a bit of a jerk of a father to Charles, doted on Anne, let Andrew run wild, and bonded with Edward. He is shown to have made mistakes, as all of us do, in the raising of his children. His relationship with them as adults is much better, but it took a long time to get there.

Philip has worked tirelessly for too many causes to count, and has always supported the queen in her duties. But he’s a bit prickly and has been shown time and time again how rude or politically incorrect he’s been. And it hasn’t gotten better with age, either.

The weird thing about Prince Philip Revealed is that it started out as a chronological book of the Duke’s life, then about the mid-1980s, the book turns to a thematic approach. There were times when my eyes glazed over discussing cricket or polo or shooting or carriage driving because they hold no personal interest to me and the stories were rather repetitive.

The author of Prince Philip Revealed doesn’t believe any of the extramarital rumors that have surfaced on rare occasion, nor does she believe the stories of wild parties at various residences when Philip was hanging out with his men friends and the Queen was away.

Prince Philip Revealed is clearly pro-monarchy, but tries its best to be a balanced portrait of a man who has lived close to a century, been married more than 70 years, and supported Queen Elizabeth in her duties since 1952.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ingrid Seward is a reliable fixture in covering the House of Windsor. She has considerable experience in writing about the Queen and her family. Seward's newest book, "Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century" is another fine contribution, although nothing particularly innovative or memorable. Much of this biography of the 99 year-old Philip covers well-trodden ground and will not be new to anyone who has read prior biographies of the Duke of Edinburgh. That said, Seward covers Philip's remarkable life well, with focus on his childhood, naval service, work for 68+ years as consort to the Queen, interest in science and engineering, contributions to philosophy and religion, and service to Britain and the Commonwealth. And it is a remarkable life. Seward is fair in describing Philip's hard work while also noting the brusqueness and bullying for which he is well-known. She covers these qualities in both his public and private life as a husband and father.

My primary complaint is that "Prince Philip Revealed" is less of a cohesive book and more of a collection of longer articles about particular subjects. This may be because Seward chose to have the book serialized in a UK newspaper. For the reader of the book, each chapter can stand on its own and repeats information from prior and future chapters. I found this disconcerting.

Overall, a fine synopsis of a unique and remarkable life.

[Mrs J Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read but nothing new.

Quite a comprehensive account of his life, but does not reveal anything that has not been written before.

I found the writing style to be quite 'plodding' and became quite bored in a number of places, resulting in me skimming quite a few paragraphs. It was all just so matter of fact and not really engaging. I did not really get any sense of the man beneath the basic facts of his life.

The alleged scandals and affairs that have been attributed to him were all brushed over, in a couple of paragraphs, and the author simply stated that no evidence has ever been presented to back up the allegations. I didn't feel the need to be given all the salacious details of the allegations, but I just feel it was all airbrushed. There was no sense of the impact of these rumours on him and his family, or the general public.

Basically, I felt it was a very superficial account of his life. Facts, dates but no detail. The last chapters, outlining his life in retirement, read almost like his obituary. There was no sense of how he and the queen engage. I felt more was left unsaid, than said. In a nutshell, it was simply an outline of his life which left me a little disappointed.

[Sharon Ouderkirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prince Philip was a very interesting, vital man, whose interest in sports is well-documented, but his interest in science and engineering and philosophy is not as well-known. Ingrid Seward has been writing about the Royals for years, so she knows her subject well. This biography is not a comprehensive look at his life, but it does hit the highlights and give a good sense of what a complicated man Philip was. His strong life force and sense of fun carried him through his 99 years, but he also had a quieter side where he considered philosophical questions, and maintained a keen interest in cooking, science, the space program and engineering. He wrote several books on philosophy, ornithology, nature and conservation (another huge passion). He was also a dedicated father, whose children remember him fondly for his efforts to teach them sports and other skills. I think he needed 99 years to fit it all in - he was one of those people whose energy leaves the rest of us gasping for breath.
Seward gives a clear picture of his personality and interests, but her perspective is not in-depth: it is of the 'touched on all the highlights' perspective. Her writing style has a journalist's clear and concise sentences, and made for an comfortable read.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seward is a well-known journalist who is frequently interviewed on documentary shows about the royal family and as such is reasonably authoritative on her subject. However this book feels conflicted in its purpose. At times fawning (typical tone for many books about the royal family) and at other times sharply critical, nevertheless this book is a highly readable biography at only about 350 pages. Who knows to what degree royal biographers' hands are tied to really tell the truth and if they are not tied, to what degree does the ingrained loyalty and affection Britons may have for the Queen, affect their ability to call a kettle black. Multiple mentions of Philip's family and its connections to "German nobility" are made, however, we all know who this nobility was. An overall interesting addition to the ranks of biographies, especially for its examination into Philip's relationships with his children. Adult.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only new thing I got out of this book was the impression they Prince Philip is quite a bit nastier - rude, overbearing, and coarse - than previous biographies have shown him to be. To be fair, Seward makes it clear thst this least likable version of Philip has only taken hold in the last decade, but the glimmer of a really unlikable character is woven into the undergarments of his story. One wonders if the truly rude way he treated Seward herself (told in the opening pages of the book) had something to do with her portrayal of him. She is NOT an author with an axe to grind - as the editor of majesty magazine, she has everything to lose by being unflattering, but perhaps the prince could have it no other way.

[Jule · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very comprehensive book is well researched and revealed some accomplishments about the Prince that I was not aware of, so in finishing I admired the man marginally more without liking him any better.

I am sure the entitlements that come with birth must be hard to completely shrug off but to lead the life this man has been granted and have the temerity to feel the pain of all he had “given up” and “sacrificed” is a bit much. He could have taken any number of paths and chose the one that went with marrying Elizabeth to proceed through mocking and belittling so many people mercilessly. Also his involvement with conservation is incredibly hypocritical considering the unnecessary mass slaughter he participated throughout his life. His ego seems to have taken up most of the space in his life.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost cringe at the thought of "following" the royals, but this biographical sketch of Prince Philip Mountbatten seemed to skirt somewhat the idea of royal worship. The idea that Philip is largely responsible for the popularity of the royal family seemed a bit of a stretch, but he probably ought to be given some credit for making them less hated than they might be. I had never given much thought to the idea that the royal families of Europe need a network of consorts who can train one another in their roles; however, the extent of Queen Victoria's progeny has probably made this understandable.