PrincessPi Anne – the son he always wanted
When Princess Anne was born on August 15, 1950, Prince Philip finally had the son he always wanted. Anne’s no-nonsense talk, her love of the outdoors and her hatred of fuss quickly made her the firm favourite of his four children.
Photographer Ken Lennox witnessed an extraordinarily close father-daughter relationship on a private sailing trip on the Solent.
‘When Anne was around 20, I joined them for a day out on Bloodhound, a yacht which had been a gift to Prince Philip from the Queen,’ recalls Lennox. ‘It was an extraordinary day because I saw then how happy Anne and the duke were in each other’s company. We sailed for four hours and enjoyed a picnic lunch, and you could see his very real affection for her. Anne took the helm and her father was trying to give her seamanship lessons but she was having none of it. When she refused to smile for photos, Philip stood out of shot and finally coaxed a smile from her. Their banter and laughter together was something I’ve never forgotten.’
The easy relationship with his second child contrasted sharply with the friction between Prince Philip and Charles. Lennox adds: ‘Prince Philip was very much a Victorian father and he felt he had to toughen Charles up. He was sent to Gordonstoun School, which he hated. It was always an unhappy relationship. Prince Andrew was said to be the Queen’s favourite but despite his military life, I never saw Philip being particularly easy in his company. In contrast, he was very fond of Prince Edward and was supportive when his youngest son dropped out of the Royal Marines and entered a job in the theatre instead.’