Nicholas is in line to inherit the wealth of the Mountbatten family and his father's titles, but he was reportedly once in danger of being disinherited. Bedell Smith notes that Knatchbull was not the first woman with whom Philip had a close female friendship that raised eyebrows. The queen was said to have "been impressed" with Knatchbull when Penny's future husband, Norton, introduced them in 1975 (per Daily Express ). Attn: everyone wondering if she *really* had an affair with Prince Philip. Tragedy befell the family in 1979 when Lord Mountbatten affectionately known by the royals as Uncle Dickie was assassinated by the IRA. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Penelope has been so much a part of royal life, household staff have nicknamed her And Also, Penelope has been a trusted member of the Royal Familys inner circle for years and bonded with Philip through their love of carriage-driving, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Phillip and Natascha McElhone as Penny Knatchbull in The Crown, Penny was the only non-family at Philips small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary, Penny and Prince Charles pictured in 1983, The pair mount their motorbikes during the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Home Park, Windsor Castle on May 13, 2005, Philip and Penny at Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2009, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). It was only when he feared he would be cut off from the familys 100million fortune that he checked into rehab and kicked his habits. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and Lady Penelope (Penny) Romsey arrive at the Guards Polo Club on June 1, 1975 in Windsor, England. Queen Elizabeth attends Norton and Pennys wedding. She became such a close confidant of his that she was often referred to his And Alsowhen listing his guests for an event, he would conclude with and also Penny.. For their part, Knatchbull and the royals gave no public credence to the rumors. They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. The menu and style became stagnant, and the quality of the food has reportedly sank. She was the only non-family member at Philips small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary. Three weeks after the accident, which Philip blamed on him being blinded by the low winter sun, it was announced he had stopped driving. Who is Penny Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma? | Woman & Home "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The Daily Mail published photos of Norton and Nuttall strolling through Nassau after the split. She also appeared at Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral in 2022, when the monarch died at age 96. When Philip was involved in a car accident near the Queens Norfolk retreat of Sandringham in January 2019, Her Majesty dispatched Penny to encourage the duke to surrender his drivers licence. Alexandra was at the time furious with her father for leaving her mother, but of course she still wanted him at the wedding.. In the show, Penny and Philip are seen touching hands as he divulges details of his marriage. So little wonder the makers of TVs The Crown have delved into the extraordinary relationship between Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull in the new series of the Netflix drama. Coming just weeks after the nation laid Her Majesty to rest next to Prince Philip, this is very distasteful and, quite frankly, cruel rubbish, Dickie Arbiter, the queen's former press secretary, told The Sun. The family has continued to honor the memory of Uncle Dickie, most recently in the choice of the name Louis for the third child of Prince William and his wife, Kate. Queen Elizabeth and Penny chat at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2001. When Philip was involved in a car accident near the Queens Norfolk retreat of Sandringham in January 2019, Her Majesty dispatched Penny to encourage the duke to surrender his drivers licence. According to The Sun, she and the prince's private secretary were the only non-family in attendance. News, that was the year Knatchbull's daughter Leonora died of cancer. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The closeness between Philip and Penny clearly did not upset the Queen, at least not publicly. His drug issues made his family question his future, but the Mail's story also claimed that he had kicked his habits and worked to repair his relationship with his father. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma 32 years younger than the late Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021 aged 99 has been a trusted member of the Royal Familys inner circle for years and bonded with Philip through their love of carriage driving. Three weeks after the accident, which Philip blamed on him being blinded by the low winter sun, it was announced he had stopped driving. Inside Prince Philip's 'highly personal' relationship with Penny Carriage driving is a sport where one driver steers a carriage drawn by one, two, or four horses, with three tests of skill and speed. And so it was the same kind of thing. Getty28th March 1980: Lord and Lady Romsey in the grounds of Broadland, showing the house in the background. Devastated by this horror, Penny and Norton decided to postpone their wedding for two months. According to Newsweek, Penelope Knatchbull is the only daughter of Reginald and Marian Eastwood. Their companionship continued for years, with Lady Penny seen with Prince Philip and the Queen at Sandringham, horse shows, and other royal events. Philip, having dealt with his own fair share of grief, helps Knatchbull get her mind off the tragic death, encouraging her to take up his beloved sport of carriage driving and engaging her in spirited philosophical conversations. Season 5 of The Crown starts streaming on November 9, 2022, according to Netflix. Penny was the second-most important woman in the Duke of Edinburghs life a constant confidante, loyal companion and keeper of secrets,' she wrote. According to Seward, Knatchbull was part of the difficult conversation following Philips car accident about giving up driving. If Philip had been looking down on them, he surely would have been smiling too. The full blossoming of friendship between the prince and Knatchbull came in 1991. Following Philips 2021 death, Knatchbull was one of 30 guests invited to the royals funeral. Did Prince Philip have an affair? The Crown's Penny Knatchbull Tragedy befell the family in 1979 when Lord Mountbatten affectionately known by the royals as Uncle Dickie was assassinated by the IRA. She has also been known as Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, as well as the High Steward of Romsey. Getty20th October 1979: The grandson of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Lord Romsey, marries Penelope Eastwood at Romsey Abbey. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma 32 years younger than the late Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021 aged 99 has been a trusted member of the Royal Familys inner circle for years and bonded with Philip through their love of carriage driving. She never betrayed him. Penny is seen joining the Queen and Prince Philip at a church service at Sandringham circa 2012. JMCrown 3 mo. And I thought it was very comparable to the kind of relationship he had with Penny., Though Knatchbull has never spoken publicly about Philip, Bedell Smith notes that Sacha Abercorn attempted to put rumors to rest. Penny continued to visit Philip until he died on April 9. With Philip and Penny, who was previously known as Lady Romsey then Lady Brabourne, it was a meeting of the minds. If she had been hurt by rumours of supposed dalliances, she would never let on., Philip himself would simply laugh off any suggestion of impropriety. She studied in Switzerland and the London School of Economics, according to The Sun. She was a keeper not only of his secrets but those of the family.. Ingrid says: They were brought together by tragedy but were there for each other through thick and thin. In the first episode of season 4, Lord Mountbatten was blown up on a fishing boat by the Irish Republican Army (the IRA). A TV insider last year said: The highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by the Queen or the rest of the Royal Family.. All rights reserved. Knatchbull lost her 5-year-old daughter Leonora to kidney cancer in 1991; The New York Post reports that The Crown argues this tragedy brought her closer to Philip. One source said at the time: Not for a moment would Penny allow her husbands departure to interrupt the smooth running of the estate.. There was never any question she would leave Broadlands, where every day she visits the tall stone monument, about 100 yards from the house, which stands above her daughter Leonoras grave. They were friends, she was married, she lived nearby. It traded hands among the nobility for centuries until Mountbatten acquired it by marriage. Indeed, she has been so much a part of royal life, household staff nicknamed her And Also, because whenever Philip listed guests who were to be invited to a royal do, he would end with and also Penny. In the movie, Philip and the Queen are discussing Charles ongoing affair with Camila. For Philip, it meant he gained an attractive companion to events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show and at numerous social gatherings associated with the sport and beyond. Tatler reported that he came home in 2014. She was seen the next year at the Royal Windsor Host Show, which she had so often attended with him, as a guest of the queen. He was also shown forging a close relationship with Prince Charles, as mentor and father figure. Asked whether these female friendships ever bothered the queen, Bedell Smith points to a conversation she had with Pamela Hicks, who was a bridesmaid and lady-in-waiting to the late monarch. As The Crown shows, their youngest, Leonora, died of kidney cancer at age 6. So What Was Penny's IRL Relationship With Philip? Penelope Knatchbull was still Penelope Eastwood when she first met the royal family. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. She later became the second-most important woman in the Duke of Edinburghs life a constant confidante, loyal companion and keeper of secrets,'" Seward wrote. He encouraged Penny to take up his sport of carriage driving, to distract her, and got his head groom Micky Flynn to show her the ropes. What does a purple poppy mean and where can I buy one for Remembrance Day? The day after Philip was laid to rest at St Georges Chapel, Windsor, Irish republican party Sinn Fein the political wing of the IRA apologised for Mountbattens assassination. Andrew Knight, who was the editor of The Sunday Times, did talk to [Knatchbull and Romsey] and they were just absolutely outraged. The Crown creator Peter Morgan has long been fascinated by the 73-year marriage between Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, devoting story lines in the series first four seasons to the unique power dynamicdramatizing, for example, Philips struggle sacrificing his naval career to support his wife just five years into their marriage, when she suddenly became queen. But even before the Big Day, everyone was already spiraling about several plot pointsincluding scenes involving Penny Knatchbull. She is . norton knatchbull illness. Educated in Switzerland, and with a business degree from the London School of Economics, friends describe her as being outgoing, engaged, clever and well-read. It wasn't the first time in his life the prince faced accusations of infidelity. A TV insider last year said: The highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by the Queen or the rest of the Royal Family.. She looked heartbroken when she arrived. Her husband Norton, now the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, fled to the Caribbean to be with fashion designer Eugenie Nuttall. In happier times, she could be seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the royal family, waving at the crowds and taking in the trooping of the color (per the Irish Times). "The Crown" has exploited these rumors more than once, and previews for its fifth season showed him discussing his marital woes with Knatchbull and showing physical intimacy. On the inside, behind the large ornate story, their relationship was going through a shift. Jeannie, as she is known, is the sister of former Bahamas Attorney General Sean McWeeney. Wales Online reported that Norton Knatchbull suffers from Alzheimer's disease and has had to delegate titles and management of his estates to Penelope as he declines. Born Penelope Meredith Mary Eastwood on April 16, 1953, she is the only daughter of a wealthy business owner and grew up in Switzerland before going on to graduate from the London School of Economics in 1976. She looked heartbroken when she arrived at the funeral and she is heartbroken. Its absolutely cuckoo.. It may be that she harbored suspicions or resentments about the nature of Prince Philip's friendship with Penelope Knatchbull, or that she was upset by other rumors of infidelity during their long marriage. He trusted her implicitly and she adored him. More recently, she spends time with Philip at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate and is credited with persuading him to give up his driving license after his 2019 accident. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull's Friendship, 'Outer Banks' Season 3 Arrives in February, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Penny was introduced to Philip at age 20 while dating husband-to-be Norton Knatchbull, Philip's godson and grandson of the duke's uncle Lord Mountbatten. For an example of how ubiquitous Knatchbull's presence in royal events is, just look to Philip's funeral. Nortons relationship to the British royals runs deep, but for starters, he was the grandson of Lord Mountbattenwho viewers of The Crown know was very close to then-Prince Charles. Penny, left to manage her and Nortons 5,000-acre Hampshire estate alone, reportedly gathered together all the staff while her estranged husband was mid-flight and told them he had gone but everything else would stay the same. Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. norton knatchbull illness Tragedy befell the family in 1979 when Lord Mountbatten affectionately known by the royals as Uncle Dickie was assassinated by the IRA. IE 11 is not supported. He walked Norton's daughter Alexandra Knatchbull down the aisle. She explicitly said, I did not go to bed with him. They shared this passion for Carl Jung that also Prince Charles had.. Philip's close relationship with Penny Knatchbull explained: 'Neither of them gave a damn' PRINCE PHILIP had a very close relationship with one of the surprise attendees at his funeral,. A family friend said: Its very unusual to be given away by someone else at your wedding, even if it is by the Prince of Wales. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Indeed, Philip taught Penny the sport of carriage driving, and she was spotted attending the Royal Windsor Horse show with Queen Elizabeth II, People reported. Penny and Norton at their wedding in 1979. She did allow Norton back to Broadlands in 2014, not to themarital home, but to a converted barn there. Penny and the Duke of Edinburgh shared decades of affection, a source told Grazia. Indeed, she has been so much a part of royal life, household staff nicknamed her And Also, because whenever Philip listed guests who were to be invited to a royal do, he would end with and also Penny. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Penelope Knatchbull had a long-term friendship with Prince Philip. Penelope 'Penny' Knatchbull remained one of Prince Philip's closest friends for several decades (Picture: Netflix) Netflix . Thus, its not surprising that Philip and Penny would be close; the Mountbatten family had always figured prominently in Philips life story and his heart. Penny Eastwood was the daughter of a very rich meat trader, the founder of the Angus Steakhouse chain, and married Norton Knatchbull, a cousin of Prince Charles and godson of Prince Philip - in 1979 Alexandra was at the time furious with her father for leaving her mother, but of course she still wanted him at the wedding.. Alexandra, a financial analyst known as Knatch, chose to marry Thomas Hooper, an entrepreneur, on what would have been her sister Leonoras 30th birthday. Previously, she covered culture at Refinery29 and Oprah Daily. Questions hovered over their friendship in the press, with some speculating more was going on. The Crown set to tackle Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull's - mirror Prince Philip's relationship with aristocrat Penny Knatchbull, which reportedly raised some eyebrows in the 1990s, will get the Netflix treatment. The relationship between Penny Knatchbull and Prince Philip is causing controversy due to the new season of The Crown., Their friendship will be featured in the fifth season of The Crown on Netflix. Despite his great age, she still acts as a confidante and they share a boisterous sense of humor. Who is Penelope Knatchbull? Prince Philip's best friend in The Crown Penny photographed at Windsor Castle attending the funeral of Prince Philip on April 17, 2021. However testy that conversation may have gone, Knatchbull remained a visitor to Wood Farm until Philip's death in 2021. Knatchbull was born Penelope Eastwood. But there's no evidence of it. He told journalist Jeremy Paxman: Every time I talk to a woman they say Ive been to bed with her. Philip says he thought that Charles . Penny was introduced to Philip at age 20 while dating husband-to-be Norton Knatchbull, Philips godson and grandson of the dukes uncle Lord Mountbatten. Speculation generated by The Crown that Knatchbull had an affair with the Duke of Edinburgh is just that; there is no proof of a romantic or sexual entanglement. Sure enough, the queen reluctantly meets with her husband's companion one-on-one and even invites her to ride with her to church service. The makers of The Crown believe it is a relationship worthy of exploring, and casting a veteran actor like Natascha [McElhone] is a reflection of how high-profile the role is. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Its absolutely cuckoo.. Though the relationship between Philip and Knatchbull, who is over 30 years his junior, never crosses into the physically romantic realm on The Crown, the episode insinuates that both found a kind of emotional fulfillment in their friendship that they were not getting from their own marriages. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. James Hockaday and Elizabeth Atkin Thursday 10 Nov 2022 5:00 pm. Either way, the Queen and Penny remained close even after Philips death. Penny Knatchbull Had A 'Highly Personal' Relationship With Prince What does a purple poppy mean and where can I buy one for Remembrance Day? The Independent quoted him as answering one such question with, "Good god, woman! The Express claimed that the queen was impressed by how Knatchbull handled the death of her daughter Leonora and her fortitude in the face of her husband Norton's well-publicized affair. Thats a little ironic given [were talking in reference to The Crown], but she did say that. Leonora was buried on the grounds of Broadlands, the family estate, and Penelope later established the Leonora Children's Cancer Fund. Sometimes tragedy builds unlikely bonds between people. Broadlands, the Romsey estate the Knatchbulls call home, dates back to before the 11th century and was once part of the local abbey.