PRINCE PHILIP
His own difficult childhood, which saw him effectively parentless by the time he was 10, no doubt shaped Prince Philip’s style of parenting. His first son, Prince Charles, was just four when the Queen ascended to the throne and as her consort, Philip was also frequently absent from home.
In his authorised biography Charles has spoken about how he was raised by nursery staff rather than his parents, while other royal experts claim he only saw the Queen and Prince Philip at breakfast and tea-time. When they were together, Philip’s style of parenting was standoffish.
After returning from an almost six-month overseas trip, instead of greeting the then 6-year-old Charles and 4-year-old Anne with a hug, Philip and the Queen shook their children’s hands in greeting.
Philip was so concerned his first-born would be weak he did all he could to toughen up his sensitive son, resulting in Charles apparently describing his father as “harsh” and “hectoring”.
It was this no-nonsense parenting style that perhaps led Philip to send the royal brothers to his alma mater, the tough Scottish boarding school of Gordonstoun, which Charles later described as “a prison sentence”.
The duke’s younger sons, who were born almost a decade after their older siblings, seemed to get the better deal, spending more time with their royal parents and seeing the softer side of them. Philip even broke with tradition and was present, holding his wife’s hand, when his younger sons were born.
Age has also mellowed Philip, who is much loved and respected as a grandfather and greatgrandfather. He provided much needed support to Prince William and Harry after the death of Diana and has championed his other grandchildren, particularly Zara and Peter Phillips’ sporting achievements.
Phil Dampier explains, “The duke is very close to all of his grandchildren and is very much head of the family behind the scenes. They all adore him and love his sense of humour and positive outlook on life.”