Ms Seward explained in her new book, ‘Prince Philip Revealed’, that despite steadily being by the Queen’s side throughout her long reign, the Duke was not always certain of the union. Although he was marrying the world’s most eligible heiress, Ms Seward claimed Prince Philip was full of doubts.
In extracts shared with the Daily Mail, Ms Seward shared some of Prince Philip’s friend’s comments about the Duke’s character.
It read: “As a friend of Prince Philip commented: ‘He is not a gentleman, because he doesn’t put people at their ease when he can’t be bothered.’”
Moreover, she claimed the Duke paid a visit to a female friend before the royal wedding.
She said: “Shortly before the wedding, he went to stay in Cornwall with the beautiful novelist Daphne du Maurier.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II wed on 20 November 1947 (Image: GETTY)
Despite steadily being by the Queen’s side throughout her long reign, the Duke was not always certain of the union (Image: GETTY)
“Their relationship was ‘emotionally intimate’ though not sexual but, at the end of the weekend, he told her: ‘I don’t want to go back, I want to stay with you.’
“Du Maurier told him not to be silly: ‘Your country needs you.’”
There were a few happy, carefree years for then Princess Elizabeth and Philip.
However, after King George VI died in 1952, the Duke gave up his naval career to become full-time consort to the new Queen.
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Shortly before the wedding, Philip went to stay in Cornwall with the beautiful novelist Daphne du Maurier (Image: GETTY)
Ms Seward added: “He fumed at the archaic way things were run at Buckingham Palace: ‘Philip was constantly being squashed, snubbed, ticked off,’ according to his friend Mike Parker.
“Most woundingly of all, his children had to take the name Windsor, rather than Mountbatten.”
Nonetheless, Prince Philip has stayed by the Queen’s side for almost 73 years now, with the couple celebrating their anniversary on November 20.
However, many royal watchers are looking forward to next year when the longest-serving royal consort in history hits his 100th year and is officially eligible for a letter of congratulations from the Queen.
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After King George VI died in 1952, the Duke gave up his naval career to become full-time consort to the new Queen (Image: GETTY)
Yet, there has been some confusion around when he will actually hit his centenary.
Ms Seward also explained that there is some contradictory information about Philip’s actual birth date.
The Duke was born in Greece, to the Greek Royal Family, as the youngest in a family of five and the only son.
Ms Seward wrote: “Entry number 449 in the Corfu Register of Births shows that on May 28, 1921, a son was born to Prince Andrew of Greece, son of King George I of Greece, and Princess Alice, daughter of Prince Louis (Ludwig) of Battenberg.
When did the Queen and Prince Philip get married? (Image: EXPRESS )
“The baby was baptised in the Greek Orthodox Church as ‘Philippos’.
“It was not until two years later, when Greece adopted the Gregorian calendar, that the date of birth was changed to June 10, which is Philip’s official birthday.”
Philip’s younger years have been described as disruptive because his immediate family were split across Europe when he was just a child.
The royals were exiled after the Greek army rose up against the Athens government in 1922.
Prince Philip has stayed by the Queen’s side for almost 73 years now, with the couple celebrating their anniversary on November 20 (Image: GETTY)
Philip was just an infant at the time and reportedly smuggled out of the nation in an orange crate.
His mother, Princess Alice, had a nervous breakdown shortly afterwards and was sent to a sanatorium in Switzerland.
He went to Gordonstoun school in Scotland and served in the Royal Navy for World War 2.
He referred to himself as ‘Philip of Greece’ until he took on British nationality in 1947.
