EXCLUSIVE: Prince Philip was known as the tough husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who seemed impatient and demanding during public appearances – but the king lit up when he could relax around the children.
“I was lucky enough to film Prince Philip several times,” True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Nicken told Fox News. “The only thing that always stood out to me was his sense of fun. His naughty feeling, the feeling of wanting to talk to people who weren’t impressed with him. He wanted to talk to real people. So he was absolutely brilliant when the kids were around. Because they weren’t impressed with him. And he loved that. “
Bullen, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, has been making programs about the British royal family for almost 20 years and has worked for eight years with Philip’s eldest son, Prince Charles.
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is meeting with students at Pangbourne College outside the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel, where he attended a service to mark 25 years since Liberation Day, June 14, 2007, in Pangbourne, England.
(Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
“I was filming with the Duke of Edinburgh and I had my son with me,” Bullen recalled. “It was about driving the carriage, and the duke was a very good chariot driver. He even wrote the rule book here in the UK. There’s something called a “suicide chair” … well, someone mentioned this, and my youngest son was fascinated by the story. The Duke literally jumped in and started telling this story with really bloody details. My son was just terrified when he told this story. And Philip adored her. He really was just a man who wanted to connect with people. “
“Philip would talk about how people expected him to be very formal,” Bullen said. “But he really just wanted to get over all the smiles and make people see him for what he was.”
Bullen said he never forgot how eager Philip was to connect with his son.
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh raises a young man over the barriers, while he and Queen Elizabeth II take a walk outside Windsor Castle to meet members of the public who have turned 80 on April 21, 2006. , in Windsor, England.
(Photo by Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images)
“I think one of the reasons he was able to be attracted to children is that they were not impressed by him,” he explained. “They didn’t see him as this great royal figure. They just saw him as a pretty interesting old man. Over the years, you would see him raising children over barriers to come and meet the queen. He “I really wanted to make a difference for young people, and they just enjoyed working with them.”
“There was a time when I was filming and I was just scared of his ability to engage with young people,” Bullen said. “He really took Mickey out and made fun of them in a very warm and captivating way that they liked. You just couldn’t believe he was a member of the British royal family. But I think it was his biggest legacy – making a difference in the kids he met throughout his life. “
Philip passed away on April 9 at the age of 99. During his lifetime, Philip fulfilled more than 20,000 royal commitments to further British interests at home and abroad. He led hundreds of charities, founded programs that helped British schoolchildren take part in challenging outdoor adventures, and played an important role in raising his four children.
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In this August 1951 file photo, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, then Princess Elizabeth, sits with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, at Clarence House, the residence the royal couple in London. Prince Philip was born into the Greek royal family, but spent most of his life as a pillar of the British. His path was forged when he married the heir to the British throne, and a promising naval career was interrupted when his wife suddenly became Queen Elizabeth II. However, he began to create a place as a royal consort. He has been a patron of charities and a supporter of youth projects. He was married for more than 73 years and still held royal engagements until the late 1990s.
(Photo by AP / Eddie Worth)
Since 1956, he has been the patron and chairman of the administrators for the largest youth activities program in the UK, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, a program of practical, cultural and adventurous activities for young people, which exists in over 100 countries. Millions of British children had some contact with the award and its famous camping expeditions.
Philip is survived by the queen and their four children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – as well as eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.