One of the most enduring love stories was that of the late Queen and Prince Philip, who were married for 73 years before the late Duke of Edinburgh passed away on 9 April 2021.
Despite the length of their marriage, there were numerous allegations that Philip had cheated on his beloved wife, with stories ranging from other members of the royal family to famous actresses and models.
However, appearing on A Right Royal Podcast to discuss his upcoming biography of the late monarch, Elizabeth II: An Intimate Portrait, Gyles Brandreth revealed how “frustrated” Philip was over the rumours, and detailed how the late royal initially wanted to take legal action.
Speaking to hosts Andrea Caamano and Emily Nash, Gyles explained: “The book is an intimate portrait of the Queen, but it is also an intimate portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh, whose loyalty to the Queen was complete. That was what his life was all about. Yes, he had flirtatious friendships. He was of a generation where maybe that was more acceptable than it would be now.
“And indeed, I talked to a number of people quoted at length, one of them who had been a very close friend of his. And nothing happened between them. It doesn’t mean to say there wasn’t an intimate friendship, but I don’t believe he was a philanderer. And you will no doubt get books, people, saying these extraordinary things, because it sells.”
Gyles then recounted: “But I do remember once, a long time ago in the 1990s, I went to see the Duke of Edinburgh, and he produced from a drawer a folder of cuttings and said, ‘Look at this’. There were newspaper cuttings, mainly from foreign newspapers, a lot of Australian newspapers, about alleged affairs that he was supposed to have had with all sorts of people – other members of the royal family, actresses, models. It was a thick folder of cuttings and he said, ‘There’s not a word of truth in this. What can I do about it?’
LISTEN: How Prince Philip reacted to cheating rumours
“What surprised me was that he’d kept the cuttings, they’d obviously really annoyed him. He then photocopied them and sent them to me, because it so annoyed him. And he said, ‘Well, what can I do about this?’ And he said, ‘If I take it to court, it ends up being replayed in court and you say, no smoke without fire’. So he just had to grin and bear it, but he did find it very, very frustrating.”
Gyles also addressed rumours that the late monarch had had an affair behind Philip’s back. “I mean, there were also ludicrous stories, rumours at the time about the late Queen having had an affair with Lord Carnarvon, who was her racing manager and indeed was a very close friend of the Queen’s, I mean, really a best friend because of the horses,” he said. “That was their shared love.”
Philip and the late Queen were married for over 70 years
Gyles concluded: “But anyone who knew the late Queen for more than a few minutes, and if you’ve actually observed her, will know that this woman never had an affair with anybody. It is just impossible. And actually to be going around saying it is wrong. And when people are dead, it’s doubly wrong, it makes it worse because you can’t be sued.”
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Elsewhere on the latest episode of A Right Royal Podcast, Gyles revealed that the late monarch had suffered a miscarriage at one point, although it wasn’t revealed when she had lost the baby.
The revelations about Queen Elizabeth II come ahead of a planned week of celebrations next week on what would have marked her 100th birthday.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesCelebrations will mark what would have been the late monarch’s 100th birthday next week
King Charles has reportedly written a speech for the occasion commemorating the 70-year reign of his mother and highlighting her legacy and service.
Members of the royal family will gather for a Buckingham Palace reception on the day of her birthday, 21 April. Charities and organisations associated with the late Queen, including Cancer Research UK, the Jockey Club and the Army Benevolent Fund, have been invited to the event.
