The monarch had been very nice to Prince Philip’s mother, according to his cousin. Lady Pamela Hicks has a lot of fond memories of Her Majesty, including how she treated Princess Alice and she shared it with her daughter India Hicks in a podcast on Tuesday.
Princess Alice of Battenberg left Greece and lived with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in her final two years.
According to Lady Pamela, who was Queen Elizabeth II’s former lady-in-waiting, the reigning monarch treated her mother-in-law very well because she took responsibility when the late royal stayed with them.
“The Queen was always marvelous with Princess Alice,” Lady Pamela said. “Princess Alice was staying at Windsor and the Queen felt responsible.”
She added that Prince Charles’ mother was very patient and kind to her mother-in-law even if the latter could be “very sharp and difficult.”
“I remember, she was staying at Windsor and we were waiting to go into lunch,” Lady Pamela recalled. “The equerry had come to collect her for lunch with the queen.
He was a new equerry, a young man of about 20, and thought he must entertain Princess Alice and talk to her. He unwisely said, ‘And what have you been doing this morning, ma’am?’ to which Princess Alice replied, ‘And what has [that] got to do with you?’”
Lady Pamela also added that even if Prince Philip and Princess Alice were living under the same roof, the mother and son led very separate lives.
Meanwhile, just recently, the 98-year-old royal broke his silence about the COVID-19 pandemic. Prince Philip, who is quarantining with Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor Castle, issued a statement on Instagram on Monday.
In his short message, Prince Philip recognized the work of the frontliners. He made a special mention of those in the medical and scientific professions and those at the universities and research institutions. He also acknowledged the volunters and those involved in the postal and delivery services and “those ensuring the rubbish continues to be collected.”