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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Prince Philip Had One "Playful Habit" and Used to "Test" Royal Staff by "Hiding" a Food Item Around Buckingham Palace

    "It was the duke's way to see if they were really checking."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 10 January 2026 In News

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    Prince Philip smirks while wearing his military uniform
    (Image credit: POOL/ Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)
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    Prince Philip was known for many things, including his penchant for playing pranks with his grandchildren. He also became known for being "brilliantly funny, very clever," and "very popular" with royal staff members. Now, a new report has suggested that Prince Philip had one "playful habit," and he enjoyed "testing" staff by "hiding" food in odd places in Buckingham Palace.

    As reported by Hello! magazine, Queen Elizabeth II's husband "really loved the Chinese Dining Room, located in the East Wing" of Buckingham Palace. It was there that Prince Philip allegedly exhibited one rather "playful habit."

    Per the outlet, "Under the mantel, where an ornate clock sits in the room, is a dragon. Prince Philip...would hide peas in the mouth of the dragon to test the housekeeping staff at Buckingham Palace." The publication explained, "It was the duke's way to see if they were really checking...and, yes, they were."

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    Prince Philip wearing a dark coat stepping out of a car

    "It was the duke's way to see if they were really checking."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Hiding peas for Buckingham Palace staff wasn't the only so-called "funny" thing Prince Philip did. His grandson, Prince William, opened up about Philip's keen sense of humor during an episode of Apple TV's The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy.

    "My grandfather was incredibly amusing," the Prince of Wales explained (via People). "Sometimes not deliberately, sometimes by accident!"

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    • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the launch of The Queen's Baton Relay for the XXI Commonwealth Games at Buckingham Palace on March 13, 2017 Queen Elizabeth Greeted Prince Philip "Wearing a False Beard"

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    Prince Philip allegedly exhibited one rather "playful habit."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    William further explained, "But we had a lot of laughs and he had a great sense of humor, as did my grandmother as well, actually. But my grandfather definitely was the one who would create quite a few laughs."

    The Prince of Wales reflected on the "happy times" he spent with his grandparents, telling Levy, "There was always a warmness, there was always a laughter, there was always a family feel. And my grandparents loved having the family around them, so we were always encouraged to turn up and be around."

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    Whether he was hiding food, or telling jokes, Prince Philip seemingly enjoyed making other people laugh.

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    Amy Mackelden
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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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