Why King Charles and Prince Philip Didn’t Trust Each Other
Much has been written about King Charles’s relationship with his father, Prince Philip. According to one royal biographer, there was a specific reason why Charles and Philip didn’t always agree with one another.
In the book My Mother and I, royal expert Ingrid Seward discussed Charles and Philip’s rather differing outlooks on life.
“Charles and his father were so totally opposite that they never completely trusted one another,” Seward wrote. “Prince Philip was brought up in a world run almost entirely by men and Charles was brought up in a world run almost entirely by women.” As a result, the father and son apparently ended up at odds and with different expectations.
Per Seward, “Charles was forever trying to please his father, but had a perverse knack of doing exactly the opposite.”
The royal biographer continued, “On the polo field, Philip would be particularly brutal to Charles when they played together, and polo player Johnny Kidd…remembers Philip screaming abuse at his son when he made some minor mistake or missed a shot.”
Ingrid Seward
‘My Mother and I’
“It was particularly embarrassing for the other players to hear him rant and rave at his son.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
While Philip was known to lose his temper with just about “everyone,” Seward revealed “it was particularly embarrassing for the other players to hear him rant and rave at his son.”
Sadly, Charles and Philip’s relationship was never totally repaired and the pair allegedly found it difficult to talk openly to one another.
“Charles loved his father, but I am not sure he ever liked him.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, Prince Philip was never able to communicate with Charles in the way he was able to with God,” Seward wrote.
The royal author continued, “The lines of communication between them were far too tenuous and they were not used to speaking about their feelings until it was too late. Charles loved his father, but I am not sure he ever liked him.”
