On May 19, 2018, Prince Philip appeared with a smile on his face to the photographers who had come to immortalize the wedding of Meghan Markle and Harry. But if the Duke of Edinburgh looked good for a while, he nevertheless slipped away shortly before the lunch offered by the Queen, reveals the royal expert Ingrid Seward in her book Prince Philip Revealed.
“Never complain, never explain. Elizabeth II made her own the motto of her great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Fervent defender of the monarchy, her husband, Prince Philip, has followed the same rule all his life, namely to never complain and never explain anything.
This may explain why her absence from much of Meghan and Harry’s wedding ceremony was kept secret until then. In her book Prince Philip Revealed, quoted by The Mirror, the royal expert Ingrid Seward reveals one of the best kept secrets of the queen and her husband.
If Prince Philip, now angry with his grandson, would not have missed this day for anything in the world, he had, a few days earlier, been admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital for a hip replacement. However, “elderly patients normally need several weeks or rehabilitation, and move around with a cane or crutches to relearn how to walk with this new hip,” recalls the author. But the Duke of Edinburgh, then 96 years old and in fragile health, could not hear it from this ear.
Prince Philip: a royal attitude
“Philip appeared at the Queen’s side on May 19, walking with his back straight and without even a cane to help him,” notes Ingrid Seward, adding: “Although he hates long sermons, he attended Evangelical Bishop Michael Carey’s 14-minute sermon without wince, and after the service took his place for official photos in the Green Drawing Room of the castle.
A tedious day after which the prince no doubt felt the need to rest. “He did not, however, attend the lunch reception given by the Queen for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their 600 guests at St George’s Hall, with Sir Elton John offering an exclusive concert”. A bad for good since, according to the royal expert, the Duke of Edinburgh never appreciated his music.
Photo credits : BESTIMAGE