Philip

Philip recounts the Duke of Edinburgh’s unsettled childhood in an exiled European royal family, his education and his naval service during the Second World War. It follows his courtship of Princess Elizabeth, their marriage in 1947 and the adjustments required when she became queen and his own career gave way to the duties of a royal consort.

Brandreth assesses Philip’s public work, private interests, family relationships, reputation for bluntness and influence within the modern monarchy. Drawing on a personal acquaintance of more than forty years, the book presents his long partnership with Elizabeth II as the central relationship of his adult life while also considering the controversies and institutional constraints surrounding him.