Prince Philip was famously direct about the people around him, and according to royal biographer Gyles Brandreth, even one of the Royal Family’s most popular figures did not entirely escape his scrutiny.

The late Duke of Edinburgh reportedly had reservations about the Queen Mother, despite the affection she inspired within the family and among the wider public. Brandreth discusses the complicated relationship in his book ‘Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait’, drawing on conversations with people who knew both royals closely.

The Queen Mother was remembered by relatives and friends as enormously charming and charismatic. Margaret Rhodes, her niece, told Brandreth that she was almost universally adored, while others described her as exceptionally captivating. Philip, however, appears to have viewed her personality rather differently.

His cousin Patricia Mountbatten reportedly recalled that Philip could find the Queen Mother’s exuberance excessive and her manner overly sentimental. The contrast was significant because Philip himself was associated with a much more restrained, practical and unsentimental approach to family life.

Some of those feelings may also have had roots in the beginning of Philip’s relationship with the future Queen Elizabeth II. Members of Elizabeth’s family were not immediately enthusiastic about him as a prospective husband, and concerns about the match existed before the couple eventually married in 1947.

However, Brandreth’s account suggests that Philip’s greater concern involved the Queen Mother’s particularly close relationship with his eldest son, Prince Charles.

Charles spent considerable time with his grandmother during his childhood, particularly while Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were occupied with royal duties and overseas engagements. The relationship between grandmother and grandson became exceptionally close, but Philip reportedly worried about what he regarded as the Queen Mother’s emotional influence over Charles.

The difference also reflected contrasting ideas about Charles himself. Philip was known for believing in resilience, practicality and emotional restraint, while Charles grew into a markedly more introspective personality. Brandreth has separately written that Philip thought his eldest son spent too much time dwelling on his difficulties and feeling sorry for himself.

Those differences became more visible years later when Charles spoke publicly about his childhood and his relationship with his parents. Philip strongly objected to some of those disclosures, reportedly considering it unfair for private family grievances to be aired publicly. He nevertheless defended himself and the Queen simply by saying that they had done their best as parents.

Brandreth’s account therefore presents Philip’s reservations about the Queen Mother as more complicated than a straightforward family dislike. She was one of Britain’s most admired royal figures, yet Philip appears to have been uncomfortable with both her emotional style and the influence he believed she exercised over Charles.

The episode also offers another glimpse into the very different personalities that existed behind palace walls. While the Queen Mother represented warmth, sentiment and considerable personal charm, Philip valued discipline and emotional toughness. Charles grew up between those competing influences, making the relationship between the three royals a revealing part of the family history that eventually shaped the future king.