Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip reportedly spent less time together following the Duke of Edinburgh's retirement. Photo / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip reportedly spent less time together following the Duke of Edinburgh's retirement. Photo / Getty Images
According to a new book titled Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, the late Queen would go “weeks” without seeing her husband, the late Prince Philip.
The sporadic meetings became more frequent when the Duke of Edinburgh retired in 2017, according to News.com.
However, the author of the book, Gyles Brandreth, noted that the married royals kept in contact during that time by chatting “regularly” over the phone.
The book revealed that Her Majesty was aware that some might find the arrangement odd, but reportedly knew that Philip did not want “to be fussed over” during his retirement and that he wished to “see out his days in his own way”.
Five years after Prince Philip retired, the monarch’s longtime spouse died in April 2021.
Brandreth’s biography also shed light on the late Queen’s determination to be by Philip’s side when he passed away, following a newfound appreciation for each other after the Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown of 2020.
The royal couple - who had been married 73 years - spent a lot more time together in Scotland and at Windsor Castle during the coronavirus pandemic.
In the aftermath of Philip’s passing, the Queen experienced “intense personal grief,” according to the book, however she felt it was her “Christian duty” to carry on as best she could — despite her own growing health concerns.
Brandreth also revealed the Queen’s go-to when in need of cheering up. The monarch loved watching television, particularly dramas like the British police series Line of Duty, to alleviate her spirits.
The Queen only started to slow down on her royal responsibilities and duties last autumn when she began to experience a sudden dip in energy and was instructed by doctors to take it easy, recounts the biographical book.
Her Majesty would say, “My husband would certainly not have approved,” according to Brandreth.
The Queen’s last public appearance was in June 2022 at the finale of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Her Majesty and family on the Buckingham Palace balcony during her Platinum Jubilee. Photo / Julia McCarthy-Fox
She was accompanied by her son King Charles III and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, along with grandson Prince William, his wife, Kate Middleton, and their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne.
