Prince Philip had an eight-word verdict when Kate Middleton came into Prince William’s life. Royal biographer and Philip’s friend Gyles Brandreth said the Duke of Edinburgh told him he was “relieved to find her such a level-headed girl.”
According to the Express, Brandreth included the account in Philip: The Final Portrait. At the time, Middleton was still William’s girlfriend. She was also seen as a potential future bride. Meanwhile, Philip reportedly had a reputation for being blunt, especially about people joining the royal family.
He also reportedly warned William not to rush into marriage. Philip had seen three of his four children go through divorces. Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced in 1996, while Princess Anne and Mark Phillips divorced in 1992. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson also divorced in 1996.
So, he wanted William to take his time and be certain. William and Middleton eventually married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Philip also had direct advice about royal fame. “If you believe the attention is for you personally, you’re going to end up in trouble. The attention is for your role, what you do, what you’re supporting. It isn’t for you as an individual,” he said.
Philip added, “You are not a celebrity. You are representing the royal Family. That’s all. Don’t look at the camera. The Queen never looks at the camera. Never. Look at who you’re talking to. Look at what you’ve come to see.”
According to Brandreth, Philip and Queen Elizabeth II had their own concerns about Diana and all the attention she was getting. They weren’t bothered because she was popular. Brandreth said they felt she had started letting that popularity “go to her head.”
However, Brandreth later said he saw Middleton follow that approach during a royal walkabout. She focused on the people she was meeting, rather than the cameras. A former royal aide later recalled Philip calling Middleton, “the best thing to happen to the royal family since he came along.”
But Markle was reportedly viewed very differently by Philip. In her 2024 book My Mother and I, royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote that Philip called her ‘D.O.W.’ It means ‘Duchess of Windsor,’ a title held by Wallis Simpson.
I, am not surprised by anything you have written. The Queen & Prince Phillip referred to Megs as D.O.W. (Duchess of Windsor). Very similar situation i.m.o.The Duke abdicated the Throne to marry a very experienced divorcee American.Took jewellery and requested money too on way out
— Nanso44 (@nanso44) May 27, 2024
Wallis was an American divorcée who married Edward VIII. His decision to marry her led to his abdication in 1936. Seward said Philip saw similarities between Wallis and Markle. Philip also reportedly warned Harry about marrying an actress. Andrew Lownie included the claim in his 2025 book Entitled. According to Lownie, Philip told Harry, “One steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them.”
But Harry and Markle finally married on May 19, 2018. Former royal butler Grant Harrold later made another claim about Philip’s reaction. In The Royal Butler, Harrold said Philip walked out of St George’s Chapel after the ceremony and turned to the Queen.
He reportedly said, “Thank f–k that’s over.” Harrold said he witnessed the exchange. Harrold had previously worked for Charles when he was Prince of Wales, from 2004 to 2011. Philip was 96 when Harry and Markle married. He died on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.
