Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had their fair share of extramarital affair issues when they were still young. This was even aggravated by The Crown Season 3, in which Her Majesty's alleged romance with Lord Porchester was reignited. So, did they cheat on each other before?
In one of The Crown Season 3's scenes, the Queen (Claire Foy) told the Duke of Edinburgh (Matt Smith) that Porchester is just her friend and she has nothing to hide about their relationship. She also reminded him that although a lot of people wanted her to marry the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, she didn't do so because he is the only man she ever loved.
Royal expert Dickie Arbiter advised The Crown Season 3 viewers to never believe everything that they see in the show. He even vouched that Queen Elizabeth never had an extramarital affair with Porchester.
"This is very distasteful and totally unfounded. The Queen is the last person in the world to have ever considered looking at another man," Arbiter told The Sunday Times. "Not only is this muckraking - this is gossip that's been washing around for decades. It's got absolutely no substance."
Arbiter even described The Crown as a work of fiction. Hence, people behind the show tend to create storylines that are compelling to get the viewers' interest and make it sensationalize. He reminded everyone that nobody knows what's happening to the royal family behind closed doors, so the news about them is merely rumors.
Prince Philip, on the other hand, was also linked to a few women. He reportedly had affairs with Pat Kirkwood, Susan Barrantes, Hélène Cordet, Countess Mountbatten: Penelope Brabourne, and Duchess Abercorn. However, nothing from these so-called romances was proven.
According to New Idea, Majesty editor-in-chief and royal corresponded Ingrid Seward revealed in her 2017 book My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 years of the Royal Marriage that through most of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's 70-year-marriage, rumors about his alleged extramarital affairs were widespread. Although some said it was true, there was no evidence to prove the claim.
In an interview in 1992, Prince Philip denied the accusations, explaining that with all the securities he had for the past 40 years, how he could do such a thing without anyone knowing. It was hard to keep a secret as a member of the royal family.
Biographer Sarah Bradford, alternatively, believed Prince Philip had extramarital affairs, but Queen Elizabeth just accepted it. "I think she thinks that's how men are," she said, via Evening Standard.
