Prince Philip

Introduction

Philip, duke of Edinburgh, in full Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh, earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, also called Philip Mountbatten, original name Philip, prince of Greece and Denmark, was born on June 10 1921, he is a member of the British royal family as the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Philip was born to Prince Andrew and Princess Alice. Philip’s father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, a younger son of King George I of the Hellenes. His mother was Princess Alice, who was the eldest daughter of Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st marquess of Milford Haven, and Princess Victoria of Hesse and the Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In 1922, Prince Philip’s uncle, the King of Greece, Constantine I, was forced to abdicate after losing the Greco-Turkish War. Philip’s father Prince Andrew, who was working in the military, was accused of treason due to “gross incompetence and inability to command large formations” and disobeying a direct order from his commanding officer. Although initially sentenced to death his sentence was converted to life-long exile due to pressure from other countries and his royal relatives around Europe, especially the UK. Philip’s mother was institutionalized and later became a nun, his father ran off with his mistress Andrée Godard also known as Andrée LaFayette, and Philip’s four elder sisters Princess Margarita, Princess Theodora, Princess Cecilie, and Princess Sophie were married off toNazis before the war, subsequently they were not invited to the Royal wedding. Philip later married Princess Elizabeth and had four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. [1]

Prince Philip and Gordonstoun

In 1934, after spending time studying in France and Germany, Prince Philip was sent to attend the newly made Gordonstoun school in Moray, northeast Scotland. The school was founded by Kurt Hahn in 1934. The schooling would include mountains, the sea, fresh air and other outdoor tasks and activities. Other royals That attended Gordonstoun include five of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeths’s children and grandchildren Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Charles, Prince of Wales; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; Peter Phillips; Zara Phillips, despite objections from Prince Charles. As part of his initiation at Gordonstoun school, Prince Charles, aged 13, was caged naked in a basket and left under a cold shower. [2]

Gordonstoun school was touted as a place for spoilt or wealthy children who needed discipline and toughing up. Child abuse like physical punishment and cold showers were key to Hahn’s approach to his version of disipline. Gordonstoun later became a sanctuary for pedophiles, according to reports some pupils were raped by the staff. In one instance the school coerced the family of a child rape victim that came forward to not press charges, under the promise the rapist would not teach again. Years laters the victim found out the child rapist has continued to teach for decades.[3]

Other notable pupils include, Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia; Lord Ivar Mountbatten; Angus Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester; Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern Granville Gordon 13th Marquess of Huntly; Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton; Michael Pearson, 4th Viscount Cowdray; John Grant, 13th Earl of Dysart; James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife; Norton Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne; Jasper Duncombe, 7th Baron Feversham; Nicholas Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon.[4]

Prince Philip and Lord Mountbatten

During his time in the UK, Philip was cared for by his grandmother, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven who lived in Kensington Palace and his “Uncle Dickie”, a nickname given to Lord Mountbatten. In 1939, he joined the British Royal Navy, aged 18. In 1939, Lord Mountbatten introduced Prince Philip to King George VI, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the 13 year old Princess Elizabeth during a visit to Dartmouth Naval College. Lord Mountbatten encouraged Prince Philip to pursue Princess Elizabeth with the goal of elevating his own family’s social standing. They began corresponding that year and through the Second World War. After the war, Philip was granted permission by George VI to marry Elizabeth. [5]

When Prince Philip was required to renounce his Greek citizenship and become a British subject prior to his wedding to Elizabeth, he took Mountbatten as his surname. Lord Mountbatten provided his Broadlands country home to Elizabeth and Philip after their 1947 wedding. When Prince Philip was posted to Malta, he and Princess Elizabeth lived in Earl Mountbatten’s Villa Guardamangia. Lord Mountbatten had considerable sway over Prince Philip. “When King George VI died in 1952, Lord Mountbatten is said to have declared to a room full of guests that “the House of Mountbatten now reigned”. [6]

Prince Philip and the Thursday Club

In 1946, Sean Fielding helped the photographer Baron Nahum, a friend of Lord Mounbatten, and James Robertson Justice to found the Thursday Club.

The Thursday Club is an ‘all-male’ drinking and social set which is reported to have featured very young women, mobsters, and soviet spies. Prince Philip was first introduced to the club by photographer Baron Narhum. According to the Sun, Baron “first met Philip on a photo-shoot at Broadlands, the Hampshire home of Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten.” “Baron founded the Thursday Club and often hosted parties in his Mayfair flat, where blue-bloods met showgirls, and introduced Philip to this bohemian circle.” The Sun adds: “Philip had also been encouraged to join the club by Michael Parker, with whom he had enjoyed a friendship since 1942, when the two were young lieutenants on destroyers in World War II.” Five years later, after marrying Princess Elizabeth, Prince Philip appointed Michael Parker to be his equerry. Parker also acted as Prince Philip’s ‘wingman’ when the prince wanted to be introduced to women or girls.[7]

The club was hosted above Wheelers oyster restaurant in Soho. In 1947 at Prince Philip’s stag party Baron snapped one of the only photographs that included many of the Thursday club’s more prominent members. The Thursday clubs more prominent members included David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, Michael Eddowes, Sean Fielding, Arthur Christiansen, Bernard Walsh, Bobby St John Cooper, Anthony Dawson, Matthew Halton, Jack Broome DSC, Guy Middleton. Other notable names include Arthur Koestler, Cecil Beaton, Larry Adler, David Niven, Peter Ustinov, Soviet Spy Kim Philby, organized crime’s Kray twins Ronald “Ronnie” Kray and Reginald “Reggie” Kray.[8]

According to Arthur Koestler, “there would also be the ladies, whose names I remember as Flo, Loulou, Beryl, Gertie, Simone, Pat and one or two others. To begin with, I puzzled over their presence there.” He later mentioned that in one occasion he witnessed Lord Louis Mountbatten burst into tears crying, “Nobody understands me,” “Nobody loves me any more. Especially in India.” Prince Philip responded, “Oh, knock it off, Louis!” “OK, so you slaughtered a couple of million Indians during Partition. OK, so you made a mistake. But don’t let it get you down! Don’t spoil the party! And no pictures please, Cecil!” Prince Philip is also quoted as saying:“It is very important that these occasions should look innocent when the time comes.” When asked what time he was referring to, he said: “When they write my life story.” He later said, “One day in the future biographers will peer into the Royal Family’s history looking for dirt. They will say, did Prince Philip ever have a wild life? Are there dark secrets? And they will discover the existence of the Thursday Club!”[9]

Prince Philip’s biographer Philip Eade described the gatherings as “rip-roaring stag parties”. One former member of the club recalled:“The atmosphere was raffish and mischievous, not that we set out to be deliberately badly behaved, although often things would get a bit out of hand by the time everyone had downed a bottle or two. But basically we were a men’s eating and drinking group who proudly dedicated ourselves to ‘Absolute Inconsequence’.” [10]

Prince Philip and Jimmy Savile

In 1966, the prolific child rapist Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, aka Jimmy Savile, became the first civilian to be awarded a Royal Marines’ green beret. Lord Mountbatten was comm­and­ant general at the time. He later introduced Jimmy Savile into royal circles, he got along particularly well with Prince Philip and Prince Charles, the latter referring to Savile as his ‘best friend’.

In an undated Talk Show interview, prolific child rapist Jimmy Savile recounts a story of how he snuck a child into the palace and introduced her to Prince Philip.

Jimmy Savile:“I’ll tell you a very good fix it, I was at the reception at Buckingham Palace that’s the place the Queen lives. It’s not an easy gaffe to penetrate… it’s not an easy place to get in. So I was at this reception, And there was a very nice lady and gentleman who said to me, my daughter would be so pleased to know that I’ve met you and this and the other. And I said, “Oh yes, where is she, didn’t she visit?” [Savile imitating the couple] “she’s in the back of the car” I said, “what in the boat?” [Savile imitating the couple] “No, we sneaked her in the back of the car so she can say she’s been in the Palace courtyard.” And I said, “And you’ve got her stuck out there!? Oh, leave it to me” [Savile imitating the couple] “oh no no don’t”. So I went to see a man there and said, I’ve got this situation and I’m bringing a friend in.” [Savile imitating the man] “well, listen there is no objecting you” so I said, “Alright”. Now the Palace staff they are the most excellent people, alright. On the way out, I explain very briefly what happened, they go [Savile imitating Palace staff] “leave it to us”, so I went out into the car park which is in the courtyard inside the Palace and I shouted the young lady’s name. Next minute she’s holding my arm and the next minute we are marching up the steps right into the Palace. Well the staff had done it right, two footmen open two great doors and inside there are all the majors and the colonels and the household staff, it is the most elegant situation and tremendously rewarding right? And when she sees the spectacle of the carpet and the people all standing there and they all give a little graceful dip as she walks by and she was now hanging on to me like a [lifejacket], alright? So we walked up the steps and into a room in the reception and into a room called the Bow Room. And fantastic look Prince Philip who has a marvelous gaze was just standing inside of the door [gibberish]. So I went, “psst” so he slung to watch us, right, like this, see me and I do the knob, what a killer, so he doesn’t know where this young lady appeared from [gibberish] but he has given the most beautiful smile and she’s like [imitates young girl recoiling]. Alright, that was a fixer that I really enjoyed. And I think she might remember it, even if her parents and herself are watching tonight, she might even remember it to thi day and I think alot longer.”

In an interview with Esquire, Savile tells, “The thing about me is I get things done and I work deep cover,” … “I’ve known the Royal Family for a million years.” … “Just because some people are famous or have a lot of money doesn’t mean they don’t have problems.”… ”Coming from Lord Louis, who was the favourite uncle of Prince Philip, that was quite something,” “So obviously I hooked up with the Prince – what was good enough for Lord Louis was good enough for him.” Jimmy Saville was later exposed for having raped and/or sexually assaulted more than 500 people, including hospital patients, children and elders alike. [11]

Citations:

1. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten | British statesman. (2021). Retrieved 2 March 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Mountbatten-1st-Earl-Mountbatten
2. Smith, S. (2021). Inside the Dynastic Struggle That Rocked Queen Elizabeth II’s Marriage. Retrieved 2 March 2021, from https://www.vanityfair.com/style/society/2012/01/queen-elizabeth-201201
3. FBI files allege new royal scandal. (2021). Retrieved 2 March 2021, from https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/fbi-files-claim-lord-louis-mountbatten-had-a-perversion-for-young-boys/news-story/3647da9b3e938ae4aa5d0f3608639479
4. Prince Charles and Prince Philip’s Treasured Relationship. Biography. (2021). Retrieved 3 March 2021, from https://www.biography.com/news/prince-charles-lord-mountbatten-relationship.
5. Edge, S. (2021). How Jim really did fix it. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2021, from https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/43798/How-Jim-really-did-fix-it.
6. Cope, R. (2021). What was Prince Philip’s relationship with Prince Charles really like?. Tatler. Retrieved 3 March 2021, from https://www.tatler.com/article/lord-mountbatten-relationship-prince-charles-death.
7. Prince Philip linked to Kincora child abuse ring – Indymedia Ireland. Indymedia.ie. (2021). Retrieved 3 March 2021, from http://www.indymedia.ie/article/20885.
8. Prince Philip, murdered by IRA, was a pedophile. IrishCentral.com. (2021). Retrieved 3 March 2021, from https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/lord-mountbatten-pedophile-allegations.
9. Tucker, G. (2021). Prince Philip’s ‘lust for young men’ revealed. Retrieved 2 March 2021, from https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-mountbattens-lust-for-young-men-revealed-90swzmgms
10. The Crown and the assassination of Prince Philip: fact or fiction?. The Irish Times. (2021). Retrieved 3 March 2021, from https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/the-crown-and-the-assassination-of-lord-mountbatten-fact-or-fiction-1.4413622.