Duke of Cambridge’s pride that Prince Philip gave up his career for Queen

Balcony: Princess Charlotte joined Prince George, the Queen and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
REUTERS/Toby Melville
Barney Davis @BarneyDavisES21 September 2021

The Duke of Cambridge has spoken of his admiration for Prince Philip giving up his career in the Navy to support the Queen.

Prince William said he admired his grandfather for giving up his glittering career in the Royal Navy to become the Queen’s consort when he married her in 1952.

Speaking in an interview recorded for Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, Prince William reflected on his grandfather’s dedication to the Queen until he passed away aged 99 in April.

“One of the things I do admire him for is that he gave up a very successful military career to be the Queen’s consort and support her and to go into service and duty in a different way,” he said.

“It was very much a ‘man’s world’ back then so for a man to give up his career to support a woman –albeit a queen – was still quite a big step.”

The Duke of Cambridge also recalled his grandfather’s favourite prank of asking a grandchild to hold a squeezable tube of mustard between their hands with the lid off.

“And then he’d squish your hands together to fire the mustard onto the ceiling,” said Prince William.

“He used to get in a lot of trouble from my grandmother for covering most of the places we had lunch and things with mustard on the ceiling.”

William said Philip loved to play a game at family barbeques using a squeezy mustard tube.

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Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall also told of the mustard escapades, with Zara saying: “I can’t remember exactly what he says but he ends up slamming your hands together…. It goes all over the ceiling.”

Mr Phillips added: “I actually think the marks are still there.”

The siblings also spoke about how the duke loved technology but would get frustrated with new gadgets.

“I just have memories of him getting a new laptop or a new printer, sitting in his office and hearing him shouting at it,” Mr Phillips said.

Both William and Harry said the Queen and Philip looked forward to unexpected events while carrying out their official duties together over the decades.

William said: “My grandfather loved things when they go wrong.

“Both my grandparents love that because you can imagine, they’ve lived a life where everything has to go right the whole time and so when things go wrong, they both chuckle an awful lot.

“Everyone else gets mortally embarrassed. They love it.”

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Prince Harry, filmed seperately, described the Queen and Philip as “the most adorable couple”, who were very much in love.

Harry revealed how Philip would get his flying hours in while on official tours.

“I just imagine my grandmother sitting in the back of the plane having a cup of tea and going through turbulence and going “Oh Philip, what are you doing?” he said.

The documentary was originally commissioned to celebrate the royal’s 100th birthday, but it now features more interviews filmed both before and after the royal’s death.

Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Zara Tindall also give interviews to the one-off documentary. The Queen did not feature as a contributor on the show.

Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One.

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