Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth were more hands-on as parents to Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, their third and fourth children. These royal siblings were able to grow up with their mom and dad's guidance and discipline unlike Prince Charles and Princess Anne, who had at least a 10-year gap with the younger siblings.
An uncovered photo on Instagram showed Prince Philip and Her Majesty spending time with their two younger boys in Windsor without Prince Charles and Princess Anne. This was around 1972, which would mean that the two older royal siblings would be in their early '20s and in college.
While their car stopped on the road, Prince Edward mischievously climbed above their Land Rover while their father appeared to be glaring at him. Prince Andrew, who was standing next to Prince Philip, seemed impatient to get back home, while Queen Elizabeth looked to be scaling the area. This photo looked like any typical family with kids, ages 12 and 10.
Despite Prince Philip looking furious at Prince Edward, reports say that he is actually the duke's favorite. According to Daily Express, only Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones have a portrait in their father's office when Prince Philip was still active in his royal duties. Sources said that the oldest royal is fond of the couple because they do not crave attention and live a peaceful life.
Queen Elizabeth, on the other hand, favored Prince Andrew among all her children. According to insiders from the palace, Prince Andrew is regarded as the love child of Her Majesty and Prince Philip because his birth revived the marriage of his parents. When Queen Elizabeth had her younger boys, she was a more experienced monarch. Thus, she was able to spend time with her family, while Prince Philip was used to his role in supporting Her Majesty.
Reports also said that Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth did not have a good relationship with Prince Charles while he was growing up. Besides being away a lot to fulfill their duties to the crown, Prince Philip was said to be domineering and cold to his eldest child.
Speaking with royal biographer Gyles Brandreth, Prince Philip said that he is a pragmatist while the heir to the throne was a romantic. Hence, they often have a different view of things. Sometimes, he would often be accused of unfeeling because of his thought process. Years later, the dynamics of their relationship would evolve with Prince Charles growing more closer to his dad as an adult.
