Time for a good old royal chuckle. Apparently, it wasn’t just the hats that were memorable at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 Windsor wedding; Prince Philip’s unfiltered reaction stole the show backstage. According to former royal butler Grant Harrold, the Duke of Edinburgh wasn’t exactly swept away by the fairy tale.
Prince Philip’s 4 Words
In “The Royal Butler,” Harrold offers an image worthy of a British sitcom: the newlyweds have barely made it out of St. George’s Chapel, and Philip, 96 and still recovering from surgery, turns to his wife and simply says, “Thank f— that’s over.” One imagines he delivered it with a sigh only decades of royal processions could inspire.
No surprise, really. The Duke was famous for a tongue as sharp as his suits, sometimes lobbing remarks so cheeky, even the corgis blushed. Helena Chard, royal broadcaster, summed it up: by Philip’s age, the filter was long gone and the zingers were in full force.
Royal snapper Ian Pelham Turner survived more than a few of those legendary encounters, once even diving into a thorn bush to avoid the duke’s charge. Royal photography: glamorous, they said. Danger money, more like.
Mission Complete
That said, protocol wasn’t all frayed edges. Philip (sporting a walking stick, mind) held the fort and even helped Meghan down the aisle when her dad couldn’t make it. The Queen herself loosened tradition, letting Meghan adorn a tiara. But blissful public displays aside, the fairy tale fizzled less than two years later, when Harry and Meghan said “cheerio” to senior royal life.
Did Philip’s famous line mean he couldn’t be bothered with modern pageantry? Or was he just a granddad who’d had quite enough fuss? Either way, we need to remember, royals are just like us… We all have days when we need a strong cuppa! What you mix in yours is up to you. Cheers!
