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In addition to some bombshell claims, a new royal biography has unearthed a sweet anecdote about Prince William and the late Prince Philip. The Prince of Wales, 41, reportedly had the unique ability to get his grandfather to go from “grumpy” to “cheerful,” which Queen Elizabeth II “appreciated.”
The queen was ‘always grateful’ when William got Philip out of his ‘cantankerous moods’
The former Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021 at 99, could always count on his grandson, William, to lift his spirits.
According to an excerpt from royal biographer Ingrid Seward’s new book, My Mother and I, the queen “appreciated” the influence William had on her husband and his typically curt mood.
Put it this way: Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife of Prince Andrew described Philip as “terrifying” in 2023.
“The queen particularly appreciated William’s ability to make Prince Philip laugh,” Seward wrote in an excerpt published by the Daily Mail.
“Whenever they went duck flighting together (shooting ducks over still water), the boy always managed to prise his grandfather out of his cantankerous moods.”
Seward continued, noting the queen’s husband of nearly 74 years would be in a good mood after spending time with William.
“Philip would come home cheerful,” she wrote. “And, if not exactly full of bonhomie, was at least no longer grumpy — for which the queen was always grateful.”
Philip played a ‘crucial’ role in preparing William for the throne
During his time at Eton College, a prestigious all-boys boarding school in Windsor, England, a teenaged William would regularly go to the nearby Windsor Castle to spend time with the queen.
According to royal historian Robert Lacey, Philip came up with the idea. “Philip was crucial in helping coach William as a future King,” the Battle of Brothers author told People. “It was Philip’s idea to set up the lunches between William and his grandmother.”
“When the time came for the queen to talk business with William, Philip would quietly excuse himself because he didn’t feel that the constitutional side of the queen’s job was something he wanted to interfere in.”
History could soon repeat itself in the same way. This could happen with William’s oldest son and heir, Prince George. Eton College is reportedly among the places William and his wife, Kate Middleton, are considering for the 10-year-old’s schooling when he turns 13.
This means George would make the trek from Eton to Windsor Castle for meetings with his grandfather, King Charles III.
Memories of his grandfather still make William smile
In the summer of 2023, William reminisced about Philip during a visit to Northern Ireland. Rev. Brian Anderson recalled how William’s grandfather convinced politicians to fund the building they were in with direct language, including an unnamed “expletive.”
Philip, the reverend remembered, “immediately” asked, “‘Why don’t you just give them the money?’”
“There was an expletive in there, but I’m not going to say that,” Anderson went on, noting that “three weeks later, the money turned up.”
William responded with: “That sounds like my grandfather.”
