In a sense they separated': Prince Philip's 'solo' final years without Queen Elizabeth were inspired by his 'nomadic' childhood
The prince was said to have appreciated time alone
Royal biographer Hugo Vickers has penned in his latest book about Queen Elizabeth II, how Prince Philip chose to spend time away from the palace in his final years.
The prince was known to have lived out much of his final years at Wood Farm, which is now the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. But why did Philip prefer a quieter life?
Here is everything we know…
Prince Philip’s ‘solo’ final years without Queen Elizabeth
“The Queen let the Duke do exactly as he pleased. He was at his happiest at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate,” Vickers claimed, as per People, describing how Prince Philip chose to escape to the country landscape of Sandringham rather than the hustle and bustle of London.
Apparently, in the final few years of his life, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II spent a considerable amount of time apart.
However, this could be explained when examining Philip’s childhood, which was very different to Queen Elizabeth II’s regal upbringing.
This could have lead to Philip’s preference of a more private life in the country.
“He enjoyed his carriage-driving, read voraciously and painted a little,” Vickers penned. “From time to time, the Queen went up by train to Norfolk to stay the weekend. Once again, she gave him a loose rein. In a sense, they had separated.”
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In one report by the BBC, Philip’s childhood was described as “nomadic,” likely due to “the royal equivalent of sofa-surfing,” he was forced to do after being exiled from Greece.
Prince Philip’s ‘nomadic’ childhood
Philip was born in Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. His uncle was King Constantine I, who was the high commander of the Greek expeditionary force.
When King Constantine I was blamed for Greece’s defeat in the Greco-Turkish War, he was forced to abdicate and the Greek royals were made to exile.
Philip and his parents relocated to Saint-Cloud in France, where they stayed in a home lent to them by Philip’s aunt, Princess George of Greece and Denmark.
When Philip was eight, he moved to England. He lived at Kensington Palace with his aunt, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, and his uncle, George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven.
Philip studied at Schule Schloss Salem boarding school in 1933. He later transferred to Gordonstoun school in Scotland, where King Charles was also later educated.
The end of Prince Philip’s life
In recent weeks, more information has emerged about Philip’s final years, as claimed by Hugo Vickers.
Prince Philip had pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years before his death, the author has alleged.
The late Duke of Edinburgh died on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99. His death certificate confirmed he died of old age.
As serialised in the MailOnline, Prince Philip was allegedly given the diagnosis of inoperable pancreatic cancer in June 2013 when he was 92.
He stepped down from his royal duties in 2019.
The book alleges that the condition was kept from the public for years. Doctors were even said to have struggled to believe he had survived for so long.
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