Philip ~ The Final Portrait (Elizabeth their marriage & their dynasty) by Gyles Brandreth

From Goodreads

This is the story of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - the longest-serving consort to the longest-reigning sovereign in British history. It is an extraordinary story, told with unique insight and authority by an author who knew the prince for more than forty years.

Philip - elusive, complex, controversial, challenging, often humorous, sometimes irascible - is the man Elizabeth II once described as her 'constant strength and guide'. Who was he? What was he really like? What is the truth about those 'gaffes' and the rumours of affairs? This is the final portrait of an unexpected and often much-misunderstood figure. It is also the portrait of a remarkable marriage that endured for more than seventy years.

Philip and Elizabeth were both royal by birth, both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria, but, in temperament and upbringing, they were two very different people. The Queen's childhood was loving and secure, the Duke's was turbulent; his grandfather assassinated, his father arrested, his family exiled, his parents separated when he was only ten. Elizabeth and Philip met as cousins in the 1930s. They married in 1947, aged twenty-one and twenty-six.

Philip: The Final Portrait tells the story of two contrasting lives, assesses the Duke of Edinburgh's character and achievement, and explores the nature of his relationships with his wife, his children and their families - and with the press and public and those at court who were suspicious of him in the early days. This is a powerful, revealing and, ultimately, moving account of a long life and a remarkable royal partnership.

My thoughts

This was quite a poignant comment by Gyles in the Introduction in my opinion ~ 'His last letter to me, was written from Windsor Castle, was full of characteristic dry humour and his trademark double exclamation marks (!!); it was James Callaghan's observation: 'What senior royalty offer you is friendliness, not friendship. There is a difference.' '

I started this book sometime ago and due to other reading pressures it was put to one side, my idea was that due to the nature of it being factual and not a fiction read that I would dip in and out of.  Sadly, that plan didn't happen either as it's taken me over a year to finish. 

I really enjoyed this book and felt that Gyles Brandreth wrote the book with great personal insight with having known Prince Philip for over 40 years.  It was told with plenty of factual elements that clearly had been well researched, but also included many personal elements too.  It shows the dedication that Prince Philip had to his role as husband of our Queen.  Whilst there may have been talk of indiscretions over the years that we will never know the truth behind, that is private and should not be of any interest to us (we wouldn't be human though if we didn't want to know or be curious would we?).  As a couple they put on a united front amidst any negative publicity and carried out their duties for the Country.  In my opinion we have been lucky to have had them both, they dedicated their lives to the roles they had inherited and married into.  

I found out things about Prince Philip, the Queen and their family that I didn't know previously.  It was a book that I am glad that I chose to read, my only wish is that I had read it sooner and didn't leave it as long to get back to reading.