Royal Sources Reveal the "Awkward Habit" Prince Philip Developed, Which "Could Be Brutal"

"I think The Queen did find it disconcerting."

Prince Philip gestures with his hand while wearing a suit and tie
(Image credit:  Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Recent royal biographies have revealed funny stories about Prince Philip, including the night he ditched his nurses to steal a beer, much to his wife's chagrin. According to one royal author, the former Duke of Edinburgh was known for many things, including one particularly "awkward habit."

In the book The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Queen Elizabeth II, royal author Ian Lloyd revealed, "Philip's frustration with his subordinate role and his annoyance that, in the early days of her reign, his dutiful wife slavishly followed the wishes of the palace old guard and Winston Churchill, led him to occasional bursts of temper."

Royal sources shared their experiences of Prince Philip's outbursts. Per Lloyd, "These were witnessed by courtiers, friends, and relations. 'He could be brutal,' recalled a former member of staff who heard him berate The Queen with 'Don't talk such rubbish!' or 'You're completely wrong!'"

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Prince Charles leans his chin on his hand next to Prince Philip, resting on a railing at the 1993 Epsom Derby

"'He could be brutal,' recalled a former member of staff."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"[Queen Elizabeth II's cousin] Margaret Rhodes recalled Philip's awkward habit of jumping down people's throats," according to Lloyd.

Per the author, Rhodes shared, "He was like that with The Queen. He'd say, 'why the bloody hell?' 'what the bloody hell?' I think she did find it disconcerting."

Prince Philip wearing a dark coat stepping out of a car

Prince Philip allegedly had "occasional bursts of temper."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"Deep down, the prince was aware he could occasionally make hurtful comments," Lloyd explained. "To a family friend, he once made the revealing comment, 'I don't seem able to say nice things to people, though I'd like to. Why is that?'"

The author continued, "In the early days, The Queen, aware of the huge sacrifice Philip had made, tolerated his outbursts."

Although onlookers were reportedly shocked by Prince Philip's alleged behavior, Queen Elizabeth apparently cut her husband some slack. After all, no-one's perfect.

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.