Late Queen found romance 'hard' with Prince Philip, says ex royal butler

11 February 2024 , 08:30

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Queen Elizabeth found it 'hard' to be romantic (Image: Tim Graham/Getty Images)

The late Queen Elizabeth found it hard to be romantic at times with her husband Prince Philip during their long 74-year marriage, a former royal butler has claimed.

The sad reason behind why the late Queen may have struggled to be romantic with her spouse might well have come down to her royal duties as monarch, the expert believes. The former butler - Grant Harrold - worked for King Charles for seven years, and using the insight he gained as a member of the royal household, explained just why the former monarch might have struggled when it came to the romantic side of her relationship with Philip.

Harrold - speaking on behalf of Slingo - explained that because of the formality required in her role as monarch, Elizabeth would have likely struggled to be openly romantic with Philip. "It must have been quite hard for the Queen to be the monarch," says Harrold. "I'm sure she wanted to be romantic with Philip, but it's hard to do that with a role as important as hers."

However, the former royal butler believes that when the couple were in private, it was likely a very different story: 'I'm sure they had plenty of wonderful moments together when they could. She always spoke highly of their time in Malta together as one of their happiest. It's where they could be a normal couple for a small amount of time and be with each other."

The late Queen and Philip lived in Malta from 1949 until 1951, because the late Duke of Edinburgh - a naval officer - was stationed there with HMS Magpie, and the home they shared Villa Guardamangia may be turned into a museum after falling into disrepair, it has been reported.

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The couple's time in Malta was distinctly different from their life once Elizabeth acceded to the throne just a year later in 1952, aged only 25 years old. She instead is said to have assumed the life of a "normal" Navy wife, according to one of her bridesmaids, Lady Pamela.

The late Queen "really loved Malta because she was able to lead a normal life, wander through the town and do some shopping," her close friend is reported to have said by the Evening Standard, "It was the only place that she was able to live the life of a naval officer's wife, just like all the other wives. It was wonderful for her and it's why they have such a nostalgia for Malta."

Elizabeth and Philip even went back to the place that held such happy memories to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007, and the Queen said in 2015, "Malta was always very special to me. I remember happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married".

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Emma Mackenzie