MovieChat Forums > The Crown (2016) Discussion > Anyone sympathize with Prince Philip

Anyone sympathize with Prince Philip

posted 7 years ago by equityoptionsguru
24 replies | jump to latest

I've seen a lost of posts complaining about what a selfish prick he is but I tend to disagree.

Once married, his opinion is essentially worthless on any and all topics, and will either be dismissed by the Queen or her advisers. He was forced to kneel to his wife. He had to give up his family name. He had to give up his career. I could see why he threw in the towel and left that damn castle to go party with his friends, I would have done the exact same thing.

[–] anela_mosila 7 years ago

You marry the future Queen and you expect to be able to do whatever you please, keep your job, have her kneal to you and give your name (which is not even yours and you are being used to promote it) to a royal dinasty which you have no connection to or contribution. No, selfish prick is not the word that comes to mind. It's plain stupid. No sympathy for the chap.

[–] Caia1972 7 years ago

Would you say the same about Princess Diana? Her expectations when she married into the royal family were by far less realistic than Phillip's. Any sympathy for her?

[–] bpollen 7 years ago

Princess Di did her job, just like Prince Phillip did his. Di only got divorced because Charles was having an affair with Carmella. Having nothing to do with their royal positions.

Both Phillip and Diana CHOSE their positions. Phillip was royalty himself, and Di was "Lady Di." BOTH of them knew well what would be expected of them. And they chose to do it.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 6 years ago

I don't think they truly realized what they had to give up for their spouses and monarchy. Prince Philip in the show for example, still thought it was possible for the children to keep his name and for him to at the very least have some input in how things were run as exampled by Prince Albert. Also, I don't think he expected Elizabeth to have become a Queen until they were in their middle ages. So the King dying early took them by surprise.

Princess Di also seemed to have been in love with Prince Charles, when asked if she would take him back if he wanted to go back to her, she replied that yes, she would take him back. She had not expected to have been coldly disregarded and set aside after Harry along with what was expected of her as the wife.

[–] jay-1007 7 years ago

I don't claim to know how close the TV show is to real life, but just going by the way it's presented in the TV show: I have a lot of sympathy for the man. Yes, he should have known what he was getting into when he married her. But maybe he never thought it through. Maybe when he thought about it in the abstract it sounded fine but when he actually had to live it he couldn't deal with it. Maybe he thought that it really wouldn't be like that, that times were changing and it would be different. Etc. The poor man is not only very clearly NOT the head of his family, but he has pretty much zero say in anything. He can't decide where to live or what job to have or where to go on vacation. At one point the cabinet debates whether he should be allowed to learn to fly an airplane, i.e. other people are debating what hobbies he should be allowed to have. Yes, he has a big fancy home and fine food and no financial worries. But money isn't everything.

[–] Caia1972 7 years ago

I agree. Anyone who marries into the royal family has to deal with a lot of BS, but his position was particularly awkward, especially back then, when a man still expected (and was expected) to be the head of the family. I found the lifestyle of the family in Downton Abbey unbearably restrictive, but compared to the royals, that was a pick-nick in the park. I cannot imagine how anyone can live through it. All in all, Phillip fared better than his daughters-in-law: two of them opted out, the third one lives her life as a normal person (that is, not quite as a royal), while Phillip stuck with it for all these years. Personally, I would have given up after the first day (assuming I could last a whole day, which is already a big stretch).

[–] bpollen 7 years ago

Royalty is not the same. All the royals know that the female royal is the head of the country, and thus, is either head of the house or they have no house, really, at all. They live in the country's house.

They're not like commoners. They know the score. Esp Phillip, who was a royal himself. He chose the job, knowing what it would mean. When he couldn't cont. with his job, he could have left the Queen.

He lived a rich, luxurious, glamorous life. Everything paid for, first class. The best clothes, the best food, the best castles, seeing the world, flying lessons, etc. What a life. I can see why he chose it. And he could STILL have affairs on the side, as long as he was discreet.

[–] sheezcrazy 7 years ago

No sympathy from me. He must have known what he was getting into, but I bet he thought he was going to change her.
Women have had to put up with a lot worse for centuries. Tough sh-t for him.

[–] equityoptionsguru 7 years ago

He may have known what was he getting into but he certainly didn't expect it so soon. He probably thought it may happen 20 or 30 years down the road, but not while he was so young.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 6 years ago

I never understood that mentality. Just because some women were treated badly, does that condone women for treating others badly? That's seems to be the mentality of a bully who themselves are insecure and a victim in some way or other, and instead of rising above it with empathy for others, instead choose to be predators themselves and victimize others. IMO those types of people are worse because they should know better yet they don't, and so the cycle of abuse continues.

[–] bpollen 7 years ago

He's royalty. He knows the score for a Queen's consort. It was his choice. He chose to live a life of luxury and wealth and prestige and comfort, in return for being a puppet at times. Small price to pay for eating anything you want, all booze paid for, travel first class, stay at outrageously expensive hotels, travel the world for free. Not a bad gig.

He was given more say so and leeway than any consort in history, I've read.

He didn't have to do the gig. He chose it, knowing full well what it meant for him. He was, after all, royalty himself.

[–] equityoptionsguru 7 years ago

He may have known what was he getting into but he certainly didn't expect it so soon. He probably thought it may happen 20 or 30 years down the road, but not while he was so young.

[–] Marx_Bros_Fan86 7 years ago

Yes. I think he expected to have at least 20 years or so before being emasculated by the ridiculous restrictions on his lifestyle.

[–] equityoptionsguru 7 years ago

yup

[–] leiastarkiller 7 years ago

I like him. In the show anyway. In real life I've only ever seen him standing around smiling. Looks like a nice enough chap.

Can't have been easy in those days for him to give up everything for her. Like others have mentioned, he probably thought he'd be much older with their kids grown by the time she became Queen. Obviously he stuck it out in the end. He's still there, walking 3 steps behind her decades later.

[–] equityoptionsguru 7 years ago

Bingo.

[–] bevaremeg 7 years ago

He's still there, walking 3 steps behind her decades later.

Perhaps it's his ability to hold his own while walking 3 steps behind his wife for more than 60 years that has contributed to his godlike status among some ha ha!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip_Movement

[–] TheHotMess 7 years ago

No, Prince Albert had the same job and he handled it all a million times better. And at a time which was far more "man of the household" than Phillip.

I feel no pity for him. In fact, it sounds like everything he says, since his first scene, is condescending to Elizabeth. Doesn't even seem like he loves her.

[–] equityoptionsguru 7 years ago

I would say it was Elizabeth that was condescending toward Philip and all her other family members for that matter.

[–] vistula-579-906545 7 years ago

Indeed. The Queen Mum used to refer to him as "the Hun", quite openly. And that doesn't mean 'honey'.

[–] WestAllenIsForever 7 years ago

Now I don't feel so bad that David called the Queen Mum common to her face a few times. This family is all about dragging one another after all.

You're everything to me, always have been... the sound of your voice will always bring me home.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 6 years ago

I don't think it's the same, Prince Albert was given a lot more responsibilities that he handled for Queen Victoria unlike Prince Philip.

[–] bburcubilgin 7 years ago

Nope. I liked him very much. I think he is the one who tries to give good advices to his wife. But she always dismiss him and go after her advisers all time. She is cold and very ''British'' :)