EXCLUSIVE: Prince Philip was known as the sad husband of Queen Elizabeth II who appeared impatient and demanding during public appearances – but the royal lit up when he could relax around children.
“I was lucky enough to film Prince Philip on a number of occasions,” True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen told Fox News. “The one thing that has always struck me is his sense of pleasure. His sense of naughtiness, his sense of will to talk to people who were not impressed by him. He wanted to talk to real people. So he was absolutely brilliant then. children were in the area. Because they were not impressed by him. And he loved it. “
Bullen, an award-winning documentary, has been making programs about the British royal family for almost 20 years and has been working with Philip’s eldest son, Prince Charles, for eight years.
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, meets students from Pangbourne College outside the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel where he attended a service to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Liberation Day, 14 June 2007, in Pangbourne, England.
(Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
“I once filmed with the Duke of Edinburgh and I had my son with me,” Bullen recalls. “It was about driving and the Duke was a very good coach driver. He really wrote the rule book here in the UK. There’s something called ‘the suicide chair’ … well, someone calls it and my youngest son was just fascinated by the story. The Duke literally jumped in and started telling this story in very bloody detail. My son was just amazed when he told this story. And Philip just loved it. He was actually just a man talking to people. wanted to make contact. “
“Philip would talk about how people expected him to be very formal,” Bullen shared. “But he really just wanted to cut through all the fuss and get people to see him for what he was.”
Bullen said he never forgot how eager Philip wanted to connect with his son.
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, lifts a young boy over the barricades as he and Queen Elizabeth II take a walk outside Windsor Castle to meet members of the public who gathered on 21 April 2006 in Windsor, England.
(Photo by Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images)
“I think one of the reasons he was attracted to children was because they were not impressed by him,” he explained. “They did not see him as this great royal figure. They only saw him as an interesting old man. Over the years you would see him lifting children over obstacles to meet the queen. He would blow children forward. He really wanted to make a difference for young people and loved it.
“There was one time when I filmed and I was just upset about his ability to deal with young people,” Bullen shared. “He really took the mikkey out of them and made fun of them in a very warm, engaging way. You just could not believe it was a member of the British royal family. But I think that was his greatest legacy. to make a difference in the children he has met throughout his life. ‘
Philip passed away on April 9 at the age of 99. During his lifetime, Philip kept more than 20,000 royal commitments to promote British interests abroad. He has led hundreds of charities, established programs that have helped British schoolchildren take part in challenging outdoor adventures, and has played a prominent role in raising his four children.
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In this August 1951 file, the British Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, stands with her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne in Clarence House, the royal couple’s residence in London. . Prince Philip was born into the Greek royal family, but spent most of his life as a pillar of the British family. His path was dilapidated when he married the heir to the British throne, and a promising naval career was cut short when his wife suddenly became Queen Elizabeth II. Nevertheless, he cultivated a place for himself as royal company. He was a patron of charities and a supporter of projects for young people. He was married for more than 73 years and still did another royal engagement in his late 90s.
(AP Photo / Eddie Worth)
From 1956 he was patron and chairman of trustees for the largest youth activity program in Britain, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a program of practical, cultural and adventurous activities for young people that exists in more than 100 countries. Millions of British children had contact with the award and the famous camp expeditions.
Philip is survived by the Queen and their four children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – as well as eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.