Prince Philip allegedly had a tense encounter with his eldest son, Prince Charles at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015.
According to Daily Mail, Prince Charles arrived at the exhibition to commend Prince Harry’s efforts in creating a beautiful display. The two male royals reportedly exchanged pleasantries and jokes before the Duke of Sussex noticed Prince Philip standing a few feet away from them.
Prince Harry joked that people are even queueing to see his work. However, Prince Charles didn’t immediately see that his dad was there. As such, Prince Harry had to nudge him in his ribs so he’d notice.
When Prince Charles saw Prince Philip, he couldn’t hide his surprise. After exchanging a kiss on the cheek, Prince Philip moved on to talk to Prince Harry.
According to Express, Prince Philip seemingly avoiding a chat with Prince Charles is an indication that their relationship has always been tense. However, it is important to note that this is merely an observation.
In the past, there have been reports that Prince Charles’ relationship with Prince Philip has always been strained. After all, the heir to the throne was frustrated over his father’s upbringing and stand when it comes to his education.
The Duke of Edinburgh was the one that convinced Queen Elizabeth to send Prince Charles to Gordonstoun. And sources said that Prince Charles was bullied at the boarding school.
Prince Philip wasn’t also pleased with the fact that his eldest child was quite a softie. After all, he wanted Prince Charles to be more like him.
In an article for Vanity Fair, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said that Prince Charles’ performance in “Macbeth” worsened his relationship with Prince Philip.
Prince Charles was reportedly excited for his parents to see his performance. But while he was on stage, the only thing that he could hear was Prince Philip laughing.
Following his performance, Prince Philip didn’t congratulate Prince Charles for a job well done. Rather, he told him that he sounded like the goons. According to Smith, the comment felt like a dagger to Prince Charles’ heart.
In the book “Diana: Story of a Princess,” royal author Tim Clayton said that Prince Philip was also regarded as a bully. After all, he was very tough when it came to raising Prince Charles.
This kind of upbringing reportedly resulted in Prince Charles having self-esteem issues. He grew up thinking that he was always a disappointment to his father.