Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II [Hardcover]

Philip Eade (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 8, 2011

"Rich in drama and tragedy" (The Guardian), here is a mesmerizing account of the extraordinary formative years of the man married to the most famous woman in the world

Before he met the young girl who became Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip had a tumultuous upbringing in Greece, France, Nazi Germany, and Britain. His mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was born deaf; she was committed to a psychiatric clinic when Philip was eight. His father, Prince Andrew of Greece, already traumatized by his exile from his home country, promptly shut up the family home and went off to live with his mistress, effectively leaving his young son an orphan.

Remarkably, Philip emerged from his difficult childhood a character of singular vitality and dash—self-confident, opinionated, and devastatingly handsome. Girls fell at his feet, and the princess who would become his wife was smitten from the age of thirteen. Yet alongside his considerable charm and intelligence, the young prince was also prone to volcanic outbursts, which would have profound consequences for his family and the future of the monarchy.

In this authoritative and wonderfully compelling book, acclaimed biographer Philip Eade brings to vivid life the storm-tossed early years of one of the most fascinating and mysterious members of the royal family.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sure-footed and sparkling… I finished Prince Philip with an admiration I had not expected for this brave, brusque, imaginative oddball."— Ferdinand Mount, The Wall Street Journal

"[This] remarkable new biography . . . does for the royal consort what Helen Mirren did for his wife in the 2006 movie The Queen, breathing life into a figure who had seemed stiff and remote."—The New York Times

"After reading this engaging biography of Philip’s early years, it’s easy to see how the future Queen of England fell for him."—People Magazine

"[Prince Philip] sounds like a Greek tragedy: A young Greek princeling loses his family, his name, his home, his job, his identity, and agrees to marry a woman who, for the rest of his life, he must always, always walk a few paces behind."—CNBC.com (a Best Book for the Holidays, 2011)

"A great read."--Huffington Post

"Absorbing and informative."—Publishers Weekly

"Calorie-rich fare for those who enjoy snacking on royal stories."—Kirkus Reviews

"Highly readable… This balanced, sympathetic, engaging book deserves to take its place among the first rank of modern royal biographies."—Daily Mail (London)

"The narrative is as suspenseful as any thriller. Truly, an excellent read."—Sunday Times (London)

"Given what a rackety childhood Prince Philip had, it’s astonishing that he hasn’t spent half his life in therapy . . . by concentrating on the extreme oddity of his childhood, [Eade] makes the prince’s character more explicable and therefore more sympathetic . . . the narrative is as suspenseful as any thriller. Truly, an excellent read."—Lynn Barber, Sunday Times

"Eade's staunchly unhagiographic book is well spiced with royal titbits, and enlivened by a lemony tartness in the author's tone.... rich in drama and tragedy.....as thoughtful and unbiased an explanation as we are likely to get . . ."—Miranda Seymour, Guardian

"As Philip Eade demonstrates in this highly readable biography of Prince Philip’s first 30 years, this extraordinary man endured a childhood of such turmoil that nowadays the social services would have placed him in care . . . This balanced, sympathetic, engaging book deserves to take its place among the first rank of modern royal biographies." —Christopher Hudson, Daily Mail

"This unusual book [describing] his transition from bumptious baby to universally trusted head boy at Gordonstoun, from plucky seaman to breezy Royal escort, home maker and instinctive moderniser makes fascinating reading . . . carefully researched, warm-hearted and unjudgmental".— Andrew Barrow, Evening Standard

"Perhaps this should be regarded as a sighting shot, staking a claim for the official biography which will eventually be commissioned. On the basis of this excellent book one can say that it would be a task that Eade was singularly well qualified to undertake." —Philip Ziegler, Spectator

About the Author

Philip Eade has worked as a criminal barrister, English teacher, and journalist. His first book, Sylvia Queen of the Headhunters, was a runner-up for the Biographers' Club Prize; his second, Prince Philip, became a Sunday Times bestseller. He lives in London.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; Book Club (BCE/BOMC) edition (November 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780805095449
• ISBN-13: 978-0805095449
• ASIN: 0805095446
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm and enlivened look at lives behind the Royal facade November 9, 2011

By M. Swenson

Format:Hardcover

Philip Eade's biography of the early life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, treads a careful middle ground. It is authoritative, but isn't magisterial and academic in scope. Although avoiding being syncophantic and including much that would displease the Royal family, this isn't tabloid fare either. Overall, Eade's journalistic background shows in careful sourcing and a well-balanced approach. I particularly appreciate that Eade didn't indulge in the amateurish psychoanalysis which pervades biographical work these days. This highly readable and enjoyable result covers matters from Philip's family background - none of whom were actually Greek - to Elizabeth II's coronation.

Eade's eye for the telling detail brings humanity and affecting life to people and times, most often frozen in black and white photographs. His grandfather's (George I of Greece, b. 1845) family in Denmark was bumptious and informal, apt to "make funny noises and yell if they saw anyone trying to write a letter." George I had such a tendency of rocking up onto his toes, that a visitor had to fight the hypnotic temptation to imitate him. At the time George had been invited as monarch, Greece had undergone 42 changes in government in 25 years. Meeting with his cabinet, his watch and inkstand were stolen while his back was turned. Such chaotic politics doomed the efforts of subsequent monarchs such as Philip's father, Andrea (or Andrew), to rule effectively. (It also illuminates present era upheavals in Greece!) Andrea had to flee the country to avoid possible execution. His family hastily joined him with a few belongings after burning papers and letters. Toddler Philip slept in a fruit crate as the ship took them to exile in France....

Eade also details Philip's years at Gordonstoun, where he was a solid student, whose chief faults were intolerance and impatience, but he did not "know what boredom is" when intent on discharging his duties. It was there that his lifelong love affair with the sea and sailing developed. From there, he went on to a decorated career in the Royal Navy during WWII. I was particularly taken with the tale of how he ordered a raft with smoking pots to be set adrift as a decoy, helping his ship to float away and avoid a fatal nighttime air attack. There are touches of humor, too. During the Coronation rehearsal, the Duke of Norfolk cried, "If the bishops don't learn to walk in step, we'll be here all night." Noel Coward identified a tiny Sultan, riding in an open carriage next to the huge Queen of Tonga as "Her Lunch."

Most moving to me were those glimpses of human emotion behind the Royal masks. George VI's great love for his daughter is so palpably evident. He was near tears when they signed the marriage register, saying "It is a far more moving thing to give away your daughter than to be married yourself." Philip's willing sacrifice to marry Elizabeth, renouncing his titles, religion and even family - his sisters, married to German nobility, were not allowed to attend his wedding. How hurtful, then, that it was decreed that the family would continue to styled the House of Windsor. Philip noted that he was only man in England who couldn't pass his own name onto his children. While I would have appreciated more explication placing Philip's early life into context with what occurred later, this detracted little from the book. ( ) Read more ›

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good look at the young Prince Philip. November 19, 2011

By Jill Meyer TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

British author Philip Eade has written a good, workman-like biography of Prince Philip, consort to Queen Elizabeth 2 and holder of many other royal titles. The book focuses on Philip's family and early life and ends when Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, following her father's early death the year before.

Philip has long been viewed as something of a lone wolf as well as someone not afraid to express his opinions. (See also, "tactless"). He's been by Elizabeth's side since their marriage in 1947 and has long been saddled with an ill-defined role in British public life. Walking a few feet behind his wife in public and always deferring to her has chafed on this man - now in his early 90's - who was on the way to making a successful career in the Royal Navy when he accepted both marriage to the heiress to the throne and then a secondary role to hers after she ascended to the throne.

Philip was born a prince to the Greek royal family in 1920. The youngest of five children - and only son - he has no Greek blood. In fact, the Greek royal family was basically Danish-German, as Philip's paternal grandfather, a German prince, had been asked to take the Greek throne in the late 1800's. Philip's family was exiled from Greece when Philip was a few months old and he and his family took to the road. The four daughters married German princes and Philip's parents split up and Philip himself was tossed to the wind. He was raised by a group of royal relatives on both sides but he basically raised himself. He was self-reliant as a child, as well he had to be. But with self-reliance also comes an aloofness, or self-protection, that can be disturbing to others.... He was sent to public schools, Cheam, Salem (located in Germany), and finally Gordonstoun, founded by Kurt Hahn who led Salem and had been forced to leave Germany in the 1930's. Philip spent his school holidays flopping on whatever couches in the home of whatever royal relative was putting him up that term. He finally entered the Royal Navy after training at Portsmouth and did solid duty in action in WW2.

But his naval duty was superseded post-war by his engagement and marriage to the then-Princess Elizabeth. Five years younger than Philip, they met when Elizabeth was first in her mid-teens and married when she was 21. But Philip had long been known to the British royal family; it merely took Lord Louis Mountbatten - "Dickie" - Philip's uncle to finesse the marriage. (How much "finesse" is still being debated as Dickie Mountbatten was not a general favorite in the royal family nor in the government of the time). Elizabeth and Philip married in 1947 - a true love match, it seems - and produced four children. By the way, the young Philip was drop-dead gorgeous and he's aged very well.

Eade has written a non-sensational look at the young Prince Philip. He bats away presumptions of Philip's infidelity, maintaining Philip's general behavior may have given rise to such questions, but they're not true.
Part of Eade's book - and one of the best - is the untangling of the royal lines of birth in Philip's (and Elizabeth's) family. Fairly interesting group of ancestors, actually. It's a good read and almost essential for royal "groupies". Read more ›

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining! February 2, 2012

By Steely

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Since I knew little about Prince Philip other than he is the Queen's consort, I was impressed with the detailed story the author put together. Well suited to be the Queen's partner, his upbringing and early family life are carefully spelled out in this book. This is a must read for any fan of the royal family.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Man Behind the Woman June 23, 2012

By Loves the View VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Philip Eade tells the sad story of the Prince's lonely youth. Until Elizabeth, he was not only a man without a (nuclear) family, he was a man without a country. I came away from this not just knowing more about Prince Philip, but understanding and respecting him more.

When his schizophrenic mother was hospitalized, his father (brother to the non-Greek King of Greece, who had had been tried for treason but saved from a Greek prison by his English relatives) dropped all pretense of being a father. Young Philip was moved from relative to relative and to different boarding schools. He suffered the loss of relatives and a mentor. Eade poses that this early life made him self-reliant and stoic.

Eade shows how his marriage was not a done deal despite the love of the queen to be, the astute mentorship of Richard Mountbatten, his excellent naval service in WWII and his status as a descendant of Queen Victoria. His sisters' husbands were Nazis, the Greek monarchy was shaky, his Mountbatten relatives were considered too ambitious and some thought Philip a playboy.

You come to admire the Duke for his many qualities. He's athletic, practical and brave. He writes his own speeches. He's ahead of his time, for instance, introducing some informality to the monarchy (more yet to come with Diana) and accepting the gender role reversal.

The book is good. It covers Prince Philip through Elizabeth's Corronation, which he chaired and made the far reaching (and controversial at its time) decision to televise. The text is very readable, but if you are not interested in this generation of royals, the book will not pull you in....

If you are interested in more about Prince Philip's family, his Nazi relations are sympathetically portrayed in Royals and the Reich: The Princes von Hessen in Nazi Germany. His grandmother's experience in two exiles is described in Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria. Read more ›