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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Prince Philip Disliked One Relative Due to Their "Attitude to Royal Life" and "Lapses of Judgment," Per Royal Biographer

    "They hadn't an idea of what being royal really meant."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 24 May 2026 In News

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    Prince Philip wears white naval uniform and looks stern
    (Image credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
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    Prince Philip was an integral part of the Royal Family for decades, until his death on April 9, 2021. But according to one royal biographer, Queen Elizabeth's husband didn't have much affection for one particular family member.

    During an appearance on the podcast, "The Firm: Blood, Lies, and Royal Succession," royal expert and biographer Jane Dismore shared (via Hello! magazine), "[Philip] didn't like Fergie [Sarah Ferguson]—she knew that she wasn't welcome when Prince Philip was around." Dismore further explained, "She's the one person that Prince Philip would not have anything to do with."

    According to Dismore, many royal staff members shared Prince Philip's view of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's then-wife.

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    "Ferguson's idea of being royal was best summed up by one of the courtiers who said, 'Vulgar, vulgar, vulgar,'" Dismore explained. "She hadn't an idea of what being royal really meant. It wasn't just the awful lapses of judgment. It was an attitude to royal life."

    Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Princess Diana on Buckingham Palace balcony

    "She's the one person that Prince Philip would not have anything to do with."

    (Image credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

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    This isn't the first time Prince Philip's alleged hatred of Ferguson has been raised.

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    When Ferguson's daughter, Princess Eugenie, got married in October 2018, there were rumors that Prince Philip might skip the nuptials in order to avoid his ex-daughter-in-law.

    "[H]e hates Fergie so much he can't stand to be in the same place as her," a source told the Express at the time.

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    While Prince Philip did attend granddaughter Eugenie's royal wedding to Jack Brooksbank, he allegedly avoided Ferguson for the duration of the event.

    Prince Philip on the Buckingham Palace balcony with his wife Queen Elizabeth and son Prince Andrew

    Prince Philip reportedly disliked his son ex-Prince Andrew's wife, Sarah Ferguson.

    (Image credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

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    Basically, it's pretty safe to say there was no love lost between Prince Philip and his son Andrew's ex-wife.

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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