Why Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip Don't Sleep On The Same Bed

Since Prince Philip retired from his royal duties, he has been living separately from Queen Elizabeth. While their current setup looks strange for some, Queen Elizabeth does not care a bit. In fact, even before Prince Philip’s retirement, the royal couple already got used to sleeping in separate bedrooms.

Members of the royal family strictly adhere to royal protocols. Almost every aspect of their lives is bound by royal rules that even when it comes to sleeping, they need to observe certain things. According to royal biographer Sally Bedel Smith, one of the reasons Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip do not sleep together is because of an old royal tradition.

There is one royal tradition among the British upper class where a royal couple does not sleep on the same bed for a more “practical” arrangement. “In England, the upper class always have had separate bedrooms,” Lady Pamela Hicks once told Smith.

According to Prince Philip’s cousin, royal couples like Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh can choose between sleeping together and sleeping in separate bedrooms, depending on how they feel. However, for practical purposes, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have been sleeping separately for a long time now.

“You don’t want to be bothered with snoring or someone flinging a leg around,” explained Hicks. “Then when you are feeling cozy you share your room sometimes. It is lovely to be able to choose,” she added.

For the 72 years that they have been married, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have religiously adhered to this royal sleeping tradition. Weird as it may seem, the setup has worked for Her Majesty and the duke as they sleep separately in two connecting bedrooms. They want to sleep comfortably and avoid each other’s snores, so having separate yet connecting bedrooms is one thing that the royal couple has always been firm about.

Another reason they prefer to sleep separately is that Prince Philip and the Queen do not want to “get too hot” when they sleep together. “Both the Queen and Prince Philip dislike duvets and prefer sheets and blankets,” royal correspondent James Whitaker revealed. This claim later supported by royal valet James MacDonald, who revealed that Prince Philip actually never wears anything when he sleeps.