Knatchbull split her youth between Great Britain and Switzerland. Inside Prince Philip's 'highly personal' relationship with Penny Knatchbull - the only non-Royal invited to his funeral Kate Jackson Published : 10:36, 10 Nov 2022 The Sun repeated rumors that the two old friends were estranged after a confidante of Charles put it in his ear that Penelope and Philip were having an affair. Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Queen Elizabeth II attend The Royal Windsor Horse Show at Home Park on May 13, 2022. 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. 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.. 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. He told journalist Jeremy Paxman: Every time I talk to a woman they say Ive been to bed with her. Norton is also the grandson of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Philip's uncle, notes Newsweek. Penny Knatchbull is a member of the British aristocracy and related by marriage to the royals, including both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Their marriage gave her the title of Lady Romsey, later becoming The Lady Brabourne in 2017, and she has now inherited the title of Countess Mountbatten of Burma. After theyd spent a weekend with her, [Penny] said that [Diana] appeared to be auditioning for a role in a costume drama. She was the only non-family member at Philips small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary. The bomb blast on board his fishing boat off County Sligo, Ireland, which featured in the last series of The Crown, also killed Nortons 14-year-old brother Nicholas and his grandmother, Lady Brabourne. The Crown (season 5) - Wikipedia Ingrid says: They were brought together by tragedy but were there for each other through thick and thin. They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. Norton Knatchbull was a cousin of the then-prince and a good friend; they both attended Gordonstoun boarding school (per Jonathan Dimbley's "The Prince of Wales: A Biography"). The Oscar nominees play the queen and her consort during the mid-'90s, a time period famously rife with scandal for the royal family, in, Prince Harry on Williams Hairline and Their Wicked Stepmother. Per the Hampshire Chronicle, Penelope who is known affectionately as Lady Penny in Romsey pledged loyal service to the community. Over the years, Knatchbull has been a guest of the familys at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, appeared with Philip at public events, and been photographed on many an outdoor occasion with the duke. The Daily Mail claims that Nicholas was at one time addicted to crack and heroin. Dominic West, his successor, will. 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. Ingrid says: They were brought together by tragedy but were there for each other through thick and thin. Broadlands, the Romsey estate the Knatchbulls call home, dates back to before the 11th century and was once part of the local abbey. She was the only non-family member at Philips small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary. The Queen and Philip admired Penny for her indomitable spirit, dignity, and grace and made sure she was included in their lives as much as possibleso much so that Penny acquired the nickname and also as she was frequently a guest at Windsor Castle for the weekends. Philip befriended her when her life began to fall apart following the death of her five-year-old daughter, Leonora, from kidney cancer in 1991, wrote Ingrid Seward in 2020s Prince Philip Revealed. She never betrayed him. 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. It traded hands among the nobility for centuries until Mountbatten acquired it by marriage. Penelope Meredith Mary Knatchbull - Countess Mountbatten of Burma - is a friend of the British Royal Family who had a particularly close relationship with Prince Philip. 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. Princess Diana did have her own connection to the family though The Crown takes its liberties. What Was The Relationship Philip Shared With Penny Knatchbull In 'The But it was after Pennys five-year-old daughter Leonora died of kidney cancer in 1991 that Philip really began to take her under his wing. Shes lost her best friend., The Crowns Princess Diana Debuts Her Revenge Dress, Everything You Need to Know About The Crowns New Season, Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce on Channeling Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Recreating Princess Dianas Prescient 90s Fashion, The Crown Season 5 Is a Compelling Prelude to Tragedy, What Happened When Fake Charles Met Real Camilla, From the Archive: Dodis Life in the Fast Lane, Discover More Real-Life Royal Scandals With VFs Dynasty Podcast, 2023 Cond Nast. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull's Friendship, 'Outer Banks' Season 3 Arrives in February, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Penny Knatchbull Had A 'Highly Personal' Relationship With Prince The house, which formerly belonged to Lord Mountbatten, is to be re-opened to the public. An insider explained, "This is a relationship which naturally raised a few eyebrows and sparked quite a few whispers, but Philip and Penny maintained they were just friends. Seward: Prince Philip & Penny Knatchbull 'had a somewhat symbiotic Back then, Penny was simply Penelope Eastwood, daughter of Reg Eastwood, a wealthy butcher turned businessman who founded the Angus Steakhouse restaurants. She explicitly said, I did not go to bed with him. They shared this passion for Carl Jung that also Prince Charles had.. Tatler reports that King Charles III is godfather to the Knatchbull's oldest, Nicholas, and that he gave Alexandra away at her wedding to Thomas Hooper in 2016 (Norton was said to be too ill). She was seen standing behind the Queen, broad grins on both their faces. 690 comment s 1 video THEIR friendship spanned decades and often raised eyebrows. He trusted her implicitly, and she adored him. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. She was only 5 years old. She was pictured attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show with him several times over the years and it was in the 1990s that Penny and Prince Philip's bond is understood to have become incredibly close. The truth is that Penny was a long-time friend of the whole family. THEIR friendship spanned decades and often raised eyebrows. The grandson of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Lord Romsey, marries Penelope Eastwood at Romsey Abbey on October 20, 1979. She never betrayed him. He told journalist Jeremy Paxman: Every time I talk to a woman they say Ive been to bed with her. And as usual, the truth is slightly more complicated. 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. Countess Penny attends the private funeral service for Prince Philip. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. Philip took the devastated Knatchbull under his wing. 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. 57. The Independent quoted him as answering one such question with, "Good god, woman! According to People, the families were so close that Prince Charles was Nortons best man when he married Penny, and Norton and Pennys home called Broadlands was where Philip and Princess Elizabeth honeymooned in 1947. The Crown casts Natascha McElhone as Penny Knatchbull, Prince Philip's The civil ceremony at Broadlands was a far cry from his sister Alexandras lavish 2016 wedding at Romsey Abbey, in which she was given away by Prince Charles, as her father, The Queen and Philip watched. "The Crown" Season 5: Who Is Penny Knatchbull Indeed, the series doesn't show the two characters getting particularly affectionate; instead they bond over literature and carriage riding, heartfelt discussions about grief, and marital grievances. Charles is close to the Knatchbull's children (per Tatler), and Dimbley claims in "Prince of Wales" that they were some of his only friends to warn him against his marriage to Diana Spencer. Tragedy befell the family in 1979 when Lord Mountbatten affectionately known by the royals as Uncle Dickie was assassinated by the IRA. What does a purple poppy mean and where can I buy one for Remembrance Day? Ad Choices. As for Knatchbull, biographers, employees, friends, and even the tabloids observed that the queen seemed to regard her as a friend just as Philip did. According to the book Prince Philip Revealed by Ingrid Seward, as described in People, the author wrote, When I saw Philip and Penny gilding around the dance floor at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during Cowes Week, neither of them gave a damn who saw them or what anyone might say.. The royal family attended, and Prince Charles, the groom's second cousin, even served as best man. She was 32 years young than he was, but they developed a close friendship over the years, bonding over their love of outdoor activities and all things equestrian.. 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. As Diana and Charles wage a media. I read that Matt Smith played the part of Phillip with the idea in mind that he was cheating on Elizabeth. Back then, Penny was simply Penelope Eastwood, daughter of Reg Eastwood, a wealthy butcher turned businessman who founded the Angus Steakhouse restaurants. 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. Penelope was invited to take over as High Steward by the town council. She even stayed close through the Duke of Edinburgh's final days. Inside Prince Philip's 'highly personal' relationship with Penny There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 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. And one more thing connects the couple to the royal family: their house. Jeannie, as she is known, is the sister of former Bahamas Attorney General Sean McWeeney. Here's the scoop on her life and friendship with the late Prince Philip. 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. Meanwhile, Norton was also Prince Philips godson. Alexandra was at the time furious with her father for leaving her mother, but of course she still wanted him at the wedding.. If Philip had been looking down on them, he surely would have been smiling too. Who is Dr James Colthurst, Princess Diana's close friend in The Crown? 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. In May last year, tattooed Nicholas, 40, a music producer and gardener, married Ambre Pouzet, a French former fire-eating mermaid performer. Philip always was a flirt and the Queen used to joke about his lascivious nature. Princess Diana seeks revenge, Princess Margaret reunites with an old flame, and many more juicy subplots await in the Netflix seriess most scandal-rich season yet. Prince Philip's relationship with 'confidante' Penny Knatchbull She did allow Norton back to Broadlands in 2014, not to themarital home, but to a converted barn there. Who is Penelope 'Penny' Knatchbull? Prince Philip's close friendship News. Getty28th March 1980: Lord and Lady Romsey in the grounds of Broadland, showing the house in the background. 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. A source close to the royal family is slamming Countess Mountbatten's supposed portrayal in "The Crown" as "deliberately cruel" and "unnecessarily unsympathetic." But Seward writes that the entire royal family was fond of Penny, not just Charles and Philip. Courtesy of Netflix; Steve Parsons/PA Wire. Penelope Knatchbull's constant presence at Prince Philip's side from the 1990s on was almost bound to excite rumors. 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. Prince Philip and Penny riding motorbikes in 2006. Philip, though, was the right consort for Elizabeth when they married, and they have stayed in love ever since, despite going through various ups and downs throughout their . Who Is Penny Knatchbull? Prince Philip's Close Friend Portrayed In 'The 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. THEIR friendship spanned decades and often raised eyebrows. . Netflix has confirmed that this show is indeed a fictional dramatization, shortly after a public slam from the dame. Natascha McElhone as Penny Knatchbull. Owing to her husband Norton Knatchbull's declining health due to Alzheimer's disease (per Wales Online), Penelope Knatchbull has had to assume some of his responsibilities to the family's holdings. He walked Norton's daughter Alexandra Knatchbull down the aisle. Sometimes tragedy builds unlikely bonds between people. According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Penny and Philip's friendship blossomed after the family tragedy. GettyLONDON, ENGLAND JUNE 8: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, smiles after unveiling a plaque at the end of his visit to Richmond Adult Community College in Richmond on June 8, 2015 in London, England. Penny is seen joining the Queen and Prince Philip at a church service at Sandringham circa 2012. Philip always was a flirt and the Queen used to joke about his lascivious nature. .and she is heartbroken, aides told Express. Prince Philip's relationship with aristocrat Penny Knatchbull, which reportedly raised some eyebrows in the 1990s, will get the Netflix treatment. Alexandra, a financial analyst known as Knatch, chose to marry Thomas Hooper, an entrepreneur, on what would have been her sister Leonoras 30th birthday. Her full name and title are Penelope, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The Truman Show actress Natascha McElhone plays Penny in The Crown, with veteran actor Jonathan Pryce taking over from Tobias Menzies as Philip. Philip also encouraged Knatchbull who also goes by the name Penny Romsey to take up the sport, according to Seward, who also wrote that Philip got his son Edwards wife, Sophie, into it as well; Sophie and her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, both compete.