NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s marriage wasn’t just about maintaining a stiff upper lip.
Behind palace doors, there were plenty of temper tantrums, sharp exchanges, and the occasional explosive fight.
Robert Jobson, author of the new book « The Windsor Legacy, » describes one heated argument in 1954, when the couple were staying in Australia during a royal tour.
PRINCE PHILIP’S NOTORIOUS STRAIGHT TALK AND UNFILTERED OPINIONS WERE FEARED BY PALACE STAFF: ROYAL BUTLER
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s « strength and stay, » died in 2021 at age 99. (Ray Collins – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The bestselling author and royal editor for London’s Evening Standard has spent decades uncovering behind-the-scenes stories from the House of Windsor.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. A spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital, « We don’t comment on such books. »
« Philip burst from a cottage, the queen on his heels, hurling a tennis racket and shoes, » Jobson wrote.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting Australia in 1954. (Getty Images)
« Then she spotted the camera crew, grabbed him, dragged him inside and slammed the door. The Commonwealth Film Unit had come for a staged royal moment with koalas. Instead, they stood frozen. Soundman Loch Townsend coolly exposed the film and handed the reel to the queen’s panicking press secretary, who took it with relief. »
WATCH: PRINCE PHILIP WAS AN OUTSPOKEN ROYAL WHO NEVER HELD BACK: BUTLER
« Later, Elizabeth emerged from the cottage, this time smiling, » he wrote. « ‘Sorry for the little interlude,’ she said. ‘It happens in every marriage. Now, what would you like for me to do?’ »
According to Jobson, the footage « vanished. »
The royal marriage was not always picture-perfect, even when cameras were rolling, royal expert Ian Pelham Turner insisted to Fox News Digital.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visit the Broadway Theatre during a day of engagements on July 16, 2015, in Barking, England. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
« A film crew waiting outside the bungalow could hear the tremendous row between Philip and Elizabeth as cameras were rolling, » said Turner.
« The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal, and Survival » by Robert Jobson is available now. (Pegasus Books)
« Both a tennis racket and a shoe were thrown at his head by a very irate Elizabeth. At times, Philip would call the queen a ‘bloody fool.’ As I know personally, you never wanted to get on the wrong side of embarrassing the queen. She could freeze you with an icy stare from 50 feet away. »
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, previously told Fox News Digital that the queen and the duke were exhausted from the trip and that « their tempers were very frayed. »
Ingrid Seward claimed that following the row between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the royal press secretary demanded the crew to shut off their cameras, or they would be arrested. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
« The queen came out and shouted at [Philip] to come back, » the author of « Prince Philip Revealed » claimed. « She then grabbed him and dragged him back inside. Of course, you can imagine how this frumpy press secretary at the time was absolutely terrified. »
« He ran over to the crew and said, ‘We cannot have this on film. This is a disaster. Give me your film. You weren’t meant to be filming this.' »
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Ingrid Seward’s book about the late Duke of Edinburgh was published in 2020, a year before his death. (Atria Books)
« Philip was also quite sharp with his wife, » Seward noted. « He used to drive at top speed everywhere, which made her nervous. She would start taking deep breaths, and he’d tell her, ‘If you carry on breathing like that, I’ll put you out of the car.’ Once, a person sitting next to her asked, ‘Why don’t you tell him off?’ She replied, ‘Because I know he’ll stop the car and put me out!’ »
« But the queen gave it back just as much, » Seward added. « He would accuse her of talking rubbish, and she’d speak in riddles as he tried to figure out what she meant. »
In his lifetime, Prince Philip (seen here in 2015) developed a reputation for being impatient and demanding. He was sometimes blunt to the point of rudeness, The Associated Press reported. (Matt Dunham – WPA Pool / Getty Images)
Elizabeth, once described as the « world’s most eligible heiress, » married naval officer Philip Mountbatten in 1947. At the time, the future Duke of Edinburgh had only « pennies to his name, » Jobson wrote. He remained famously frugal until his death in 2021 at age 99.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh pictured on Jan. 6, 2020, in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle ahead of his 99th birthday. (Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images)
Jobson wrote that Philip once had his tailor « alter a 52-year-old pair of trousers. »
Examining Philip’s life, Jobson wrote that the prince’s dream of continuing his naval career was dashed when Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96.
Queen Elizabeth II at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle with one of her corgis, circa 1952. (Getty Images)
« He was famous for lamenting in the initial years of her reign, ‘I’m the only man in this country whose wife is his boss!’ » British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Prince Philip was the longest-serving consort in British history. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
« Her classic public snap at him, heard by many, was ‘Philip, do behave,’ » she shared. « There was one Trooping the Colour carriage trip where they were caught on camera having a dispute with Queen Elizabeth, giving him an icy look and what looked like a blunt retort. »
Queen Elizabeth was caught smiling in a moment shared with Prince Philip after the nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. (Alastair Grant/AFP/Pool/Getty Images)
« Over the years, those who worked with and for the couple witnessed many scenes where Philip would end up saying, ‘Oh, do shut up.’ The queen didn’t usually take umbrage. Instead, she was ready with a withering but witty reply. Most scenes were recounted to show how steely and sarcastic she was when he was blunt, impatient and occasionally rude to her. »
Still, British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Elizabeth and Philip were deeply committed to both the Crown and each other.
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and her husband, Philip Mountbatten, study their wedding photographs while on honeymoon in Romsey, Hampshire, circa 1947. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
« As they say, opposites attract, » Chard said. « An unassuming young Princess Elizabeth and a dynamic Prince Philip fell madly in love. Hand in glove, they worked together in perfect balance — until their world changed unexpectedly.
Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, husband of Princess Elizabeth, resumes his attendance at the Royal Naval Officers’ School at Kingsmoor in Hawthorn, Wiltshire, circa 1947. (PNA Rota/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
« Prince Philip was forced to give up his promising naval career to become the queen’s consort. Their sense of duty and devotion to the Crown never faltered, although Philip found his role frustrating, especially in the early years. He understood that her public duties always came first. »
Prince Philip, seen here in 2011, had completed roughly 22,000 royal engagements since his wife’s coronation. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Philip would later joke that he was « the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler. »
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth with their son Prince Charles and Princess Anne, date unknown. (Getty Images)
Royal experts say Elizabeth and Philip’s marriage had its share of strain, but humor and loyalty always won out — and made it last.
« My personal favorite story is a brilliant prank Prince Philip pulled in 2003, » Fordwich said.
« He dressed as a Grenadier Guard for a military review at Windsor Castle. Even at his age, he could still make Queen Elizabeth giggle like a schoolgirl. That moment showed his cheeky side — his knack for making her laugh — and their unique bond. Also, among his pet names for her was ‘Cabbage.’ »
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II watch The Vivari Queen’s Cup Final from the Royal Box at Guards Polo Club, Smith’s Lawn on June 17, 2007, in Egham, England. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
« In 1957, upon his return from a long naval tour aboard the Britannia, he had grown a beard, » Fordwich also shared. « The queen and her courtiers wore fake beards to greet him, which sparked plenty of laughter. »
Philip retired from public duties in 2017 at age 96. He quietly spent his final years in a five-bedroom cottage on the Sandringham estate, keeping busy with history books, watercolor painting, and visits from close family members.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (right) and Queen Elizabeth II depart a Service of Commemoration for troops who were stationed in Afghanistan on March 13, 2015, in London. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
« Strength in differences was a belief both Elizabeth and Philip shared, » Chard said. « It strengthened their marriage. They gave each other space to explore their different interests. As Prince Philip once said, the essential ingredient in any happy marriage is tolerance. He shared that the queen had the quality of tolerance in abundance. »
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during a visit to Hereford, UK, circa 1996. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Philip and the queen « spent precious time together » at Windsor Castle, where he gave her what Jobson described as a « new lease on life. » The couple shared afternoon tea most days, which « delighted the queen. »
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh meets students from Pangbourne College outside the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel where he attended a service to mark the 25th anniversary of Liberation Day, on June 14, 2007, in Pangbourne, England. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
« He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments, but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, » the queen said during their golden wedding anniversary celebration.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their wedding day on Nov. 20, 1947. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
« And I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know. »
