It was well known that Prince Philip often had a difficult relationship with his eldest child, King Charles, with the two men only growing close in the Duke of Edinburgh’s final years.
But now it’s emerged that Philip thought Charles “lacked the dedication necessary to make a good king”, according to royal reporter and author Gyles Brandreth.
Writing in his biography Philip: The Final Portrait, Brandreth recalled discussions with Prince Philip in the 1980s and 1990s where he spoke with “a touch of exasperation in his tone – and often, too, a note of sarcasm” when talking about the then Prince Charles.
“The Duke gave the impression that he would have liked his son to be more robust, less fey,” Brandreth said, as per the Daily Mail.
He also alleged that Philip felt Charles especially lacked the “dedication necessary to make a good king” after the death of Princess Diana.
Eventually, time did heal the rift between the two men and King Charles spoke fondly of his father on many occasions in the last few years.
In a recent documentary, King Charles III revealed the cheeky parting shot the Duke made over the phone just hours before his passing on April 9, 2021 at the magnificent age of 99.
The BBC documentary titled Prince Philip: The Family Remembers, paid tribute to his life, legacy, and unbreakable sense of duty but also shed light on his mischievous side.
In the documentary, Charles recalled speaking to his frail father over the phone and discussing the Duke’s upcoming 100th birthday celebrations.
Charles was compelled to raise his voice so his father could hear him and said, “We’re talking about your birthday! And whether there’s going to be a reception!”
Still sharp as a razor the Duke retorted swiftly off the bat, “Well, I’ve got to be alive for it, haven’t I?”
Charles remembered the call fondly in the documentary, “I told him ‘I knew you’d say that!’”.
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