How Prince Philip Stepped Up When John F. Kennedy Jr. Bemoaned Not Having "Anybody to Play With" Following JFK's Assassination

"Where's daddy?"

Jackie Kennedy, widow of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy, with her children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr., who held hands with Prince Philip at Runnymede for The Kennedy Memorial Stone ceremony May 14, 1965
(Image credit: Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images/McCabe/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth spent seven decades on the throne, and her husband, Prince Philip, was by her side throughout. Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, Elizabeth and Philip traveled to Washington to support JFK's wife, Jackie Kennedy, and their children, Caroline and John.

"The weekend of the Kennedy assassination, [Prince Philip] flew to Washington for the funeral," historian and journalist Paul Brandus previously shared on X. "At the White House on Sunday, Nov. 24, 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy was looking for John Jr. and opened the door to his playroom."

Brandus continued, "There she found the prince sprawled on the floor, playing and laughing with the murdered president's son. Days from his third birthday, John had said earlier that he 'didn't have anybody to play with' (also: 'Where's daddy?') and Her Majesty's husband decided that he would entertain the boy."

Jackie Kennedy, widow of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy, with her children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr., who held hands with Prince Philip at Runnymede for The Kennedy Memorial Stone ceremony May 14, 1965

John F. Kennedy Jr. holds hands with Prince Philip in Runnymede, England for the opening of the the JFK Memorial on May 14, 1965.

(Image credit: Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)

In 1965, Jackie and her children traveled to the U.K. for the opening of the JFK Memorial, in honor of her late husband. Photographs of their visit to Runnymede in England on May 14, 1965 show Prince Philip holding hands with John F. Kennedy Jr., revealing a sweet bond between the pair.

Jackie Kennedy, widow of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy, with her children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr., who held hands with Prince Philip at Runnymede for The Kennedy Memorial Stone ceremony May 14, 1965

John F. Kennedy Jr. holds hands with Prince Philip in Runnymede, England for the opening of the the JFK Memorial on May 14, 1965.

(Image credit: McCabe/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

JFK Jr. was also photographed meeting Queen Elizabeth while matching with his sister Caroline and mom Jackie.

John Kennedy, Jr. shyly bows before Queen Elizabeth at Runnymede, during inauguration of John F. Kennedy Memorial, May 14, 1965

A 4-year-old John Kennedy, Jr. shakes hands with Queen Elizabeth during the inauguration of the JFK Memorial in England on May 14, 1965.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As a father of four, it seems as though Prince Philip understood JFK Jr.'s needs following the loss of John F. Kennedy.

Amy Mackelden
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.