8 Most Shocking Secrets Of Prince Philip You Might Not Know About (Part 1)

Prince Philip has become a household name as Queen Elizabeth II’s husband. Despite seeing him on the news, not much is known about the former Prince of Greece and Denmark. Here are some secrets you might not have known about the Duke of Edinburgh.

1. An Exiled Prince

Prince Philip was an outsider even as a young boy, with his family having been sent into exile from Greece. His father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, and his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, had to whisk away the then 1-year-old Philip in a fruit crate after Andrew’s brother had been deposed.

2. A Victim Of Bullying

The boy prince had a difficult time growing up, having had no surname as a royal. When he was sent to boarding school, he was vastly bullied for being known only as “Philip of Greece” and holding no last name. He would later adopt his uncle’s surname, Mountbatten, after marrying Queen Elizabeth II.

3. His Controversial Parents

Prince Philip’s parents had not made his life any easier, with them having been in the middle of their own controversies as he grew up. His father was known as a notorious playboy, with the boy rarely seeing him at home. His old man had been off gallivanting in France with his mistresses, clearly affecting Prince Philip as he grew older.

Hi mother, on the other hand, was diagnosed with a mental illness called “neurotic-pre-psychotic libidinous condition,” to which Sigmund Freud had recommended “exposure of the gonads to X-rays, in order to accelerate the menopause.” He was 9 years old when his mother was confined in a mental institution, only reuniting with her in 1967.

4. A Playboy Lifestyle

His father may have had his fair share of wild stories, but even the prince had caught on to the raunchy “playboy” lifestyle. He had become a part of a notorious lunch club known for having “rip-roaring stag parties.” It was rumored that he had once made an appearance wearing only a mask and a lace apron, garnering the nickname “The Naked Waiter.”

Aside from this, the Duke of Edinburgh has been repeatedly linked to having several mistresses. He was even rumored to have had an affair on his own wedding night!

(See items 5–8 in Part 2 here.)