Reginald, a one-time butcher, according toThe Telegraph, was the founder of the restaurant chain Aberdeen Steak House in the 1960s, later known as Angus Steak House. James Hockaday and Elizabeth Atkin Thursday 10 Nov 2022 5:00 pm. Her husband is Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma . The full blossoming of friendship between the prince and Knatchbull came in 1991. The earlier season of the popular show showed that Mountbatten was especially close to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Penny returned to the Royal Windsor Horse Show last month without her decades-long comp-anion for the first time. She was 32 years younger than the Duke of Edinburgh. There may be no evidence for rumors that Penelope Knatchbull and Prince Philip carried on an affair, but it is a matter of public record that Penelope's own marriage was marred by infidelity. Queen Elizabeth II's thoughts and feelings on nearly everything were opaque. She is one of 30 mourners present, including immediate family members. If Philip had been looking down on them, he surely would have been smiling too. As a 1975 photo cited by Today shows, Penelope Easton Knatchbull was friendly with the then-prince of Wales, only shortly after her first introduction to the royal family. Philip helped to popularize the sport in the United Kingdom, and Knatchbull's embrace of it is said to have kept him involved in competitions into his 90s. For their part, Knatchbull and the royals gave no public credence to the rumors. Sometimes tragedy builds unlikely bonds between people. When they did tie the knot, with Prince Charles as best man, they inherited Mountbattens 18th-century, 60-room Broadlands estate near Romsey, Hants, where Charles and Di would spend part of their honeymoon two years later. "The Crown" has exploited these rumors more than once, and previews for its fifth season showed him discussing his marital woes with Knatchbull and showing physical intimacy. In 1979, five years after first meeting Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, Penelope Eastwood became Penelope Knatchbull when she married Norton Knatchbull, Philip's godson and King Charles III's second cousin, according toHarper's Bazaar. February 27, 2023 . During the 1990s . The Oscar nominees play the queen and her consort during the mid-'90s, a time period famously rife with scandal for the royal family, in, Prince Harry on Williams Hairline and Their Wicked Stepmother. Alexandra, a financial analyst known as Knatch, chose to marry Thomas Hooper, an entrepreneur, on what would have been her sister Leonoras 30th birthday. Its absolutely cuckoo.. And they were often seen chilling at events: These two were so close, in fact, that Penny was one of only 30 mourners at Philips funeral: And she was also one of the mourners at the Queens funeral: According to reports from The Sun, The Crowns fifth season will showcase Prince Philip in intimate scenes with Penny. The fifth season of The Crown, which follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was released by Netflix on 9 November 2022. People reported that Penny first met Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth in 1974. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma 32 years younger than the late Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021 aged 99 has been a trusted member of the Royal Familys inner circle for years and bonded with Philip through their love of carriage driving. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. Norton and Penny Knatchbull on their wedding day. The event being dubbed the Wedding of the Year with over 900 guests in attendance from almost all of Europes leading families. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull's Friendship Is More Than What's in Prince Philip's relationship with 'confidante' Penny Knatchbull The civil ceremony at Broadlands was a far cry from his sister Alexandras lavish 2016 wedding at Romsey Abbey, in which she was given away by Prince Charles, as her father, The Queen and Philip watched. Noting that the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was then approaching, she said that she would attend, not only as a guest but as a representative of Romsey. Philip always was a flirt and the Queen used to joke about his lascivious nature. In reality, Knatchbull entered the royal fray in 1979 when she married Prince Charless second cousin Lord Romsey, son and heir of the 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Her father, Reginald Eastwood, founded the Angus Steakhouse chain, as Nicholas Davies writes in his 2000 Queen Elizabeth biography, "Beyond Palace Doors.". THEIR friendship spanned decades and often raised eyebrows. It's more than friendship that Penelope Eastwood Knatchbull shared with Prince Philip. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Back then, Penny was simply Penelope Eastwood, daughter of Reg Eastwood, a wealthy butcher turned businessman who founded the Angus Steakhouse restaurants. A TV insider last year said: The highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by the Queen or the rest of the Royal Family.. Elena Nicolaou is a senior entertainment editor at Today.com, where she covers the latest in TV, pop culture, movies and all things streaming. In the years that followed, Knatchbull and Romsey remained close friends with Charleseven offering to speak out in his defense after Andrew Morton published his infamous Princess Diana tell-all, according to Bedell Smith. Penelope Meredith Mary Knatchbull - Countess Mountbatten of Burma - is a friend of the British Royal Family who had a particularly close relationship with Prince Philip. Penny returned to the Royal Windsor Horse Show last month without her decades-long comp-anion for the first time. It was only when he feared he would be cut off from the familys 100million fortune that he checked into rehab and kicked his habits. So how the hell could I get away with anything like that?". Penelope Knatchbull (ne Eastwood) is the wife of Norton Knatchbull, the grandson of Earl Mountbatten (The Crown watchers know him as Uncle Dickie) and Prince Philip's own godson. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull to Have "Intimate Scenes" in The Crown Celebrities & Entertainment Celebs The Crown Will Reportedly Feature Prince Philip's Relationship with. But it was after Pennys five-year-old daughter Leonora died of kidney cancer in 1991 that Philip really began to take her under his wing. Alexandra was at the time furious with her father for leaving her mother, but of course she still wanted him at the wedding.. Three weeks after the accident, which Philip blamed on him being blinded by the low winter sun, it was announced he had stopped driving. Penny Knatchbull and Prince Philip. Countess Penny remained close with the queen even after Prince Philip's death, and was even seen attending the the Royal Windsor Horse Show with her in May. When he got into a car accident in 2019, Queen Elizabeth II decided that her husband needed to give up driving. Philip, of course, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Humiliated Putin to miss G20 summit over fears of ASSASSINATION attempt after troops evacuate Kherson, I've been stuck in my living room for 12 months as the council won't find me a new home, I'm at my wit's end, Cyclist, 20s, in critical condition after horror collision with lorry in Dublin as gardai appeal for witnesses. Penny Knatchbull is the wife of Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a cousin-once-removed of Prince Philip and with whom she shares three children. It was even rumoured Prince Charles had cut off his friendship with Penny after someone close to him shared their suspicion that his father was having an affair with her. Thats a little ironic given [were talking in reference to The Crown], but she did say that. When Philip was involved in a car accident near the Queens Norfolk retreat of Sandringham in January 2019, Her Majesty dispatched Penny to encourage the duke to surrender his drivers licence. She was godmother to Alexandra Knatchbull, not Leonora, as the show depicts. As for Knatchbull, biographers, employees, friends, and even the tabloids observed that the queen seemed to regard her as a friend just as Philip did. Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, GMB's Kate Garraway reveals crippling cost of caring for her husband Derek, Stephen Bear 'broke behind bars' as his company is shut down before he's jailed, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Im talking about the Countess of Westmorland, the Duchess of Abercorn, clarifies Bedell Smith. THEIR friendship spanned decades and often raised eyebrows. Getty28th March 1980: Lord and Lady Romsey in the grounds of Broadland, showing the house in the background. Educated in Switzerland, and with a business degree from the London School of Economics, friends describe her as being outgoing, engaged, clever and well-read. She and the duke also both shared a boisterous sense of humour, according to Ingrid. Its a new decade, and the royal family are facing what may be their biggest challenge yet: proving their continued relevance in 90s Britain. A family friend said: Its very unusual to be given away by someone else at your wedding, even if it is by the Prince of Wales. She never betrayed him. It traded hands among the nobility for centuries until Mountbatten acquired it by marriage. Whatever moved Norton to flee Britain and pursue his affair, he seemed to have a change of heart. Coming just weeks after the nation laid Her Majesty to rest next to Prince Philip, this is very distasteful and, quite frankly, cruel rubbish, Dickie Arbiter, the queen's former press secretary, told The Sun. Alexandra was at the time furious with her father for leaving her mother, but of course she still wanted him at the wedding.. And now, in the series fifth season, the first installment to air after Prince Philips and Queen Elizabeths deaths, Morgan returns to this fascination in the episode The System, exploring the idea of spouses growing apart (or, as The Crowns Philip says, growing in separate directions), and introducing the close real-life friendship between Philip (Jonathan Pryce) and his carriage-driving partner Lady Penny Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma (Natascha McElhone). The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. One source said: He was a tremendous support during a time of unimaginable grief.. Here's the scoop on her life and friendship with the late Prince Philip. While Penny Knatchbull, now 69, has not addressed the portrayal herself, a close friend reportedly told The Telegraph before the new season aired, "This is indeed an ill-judged, unnecessarily. Broadlands, the Romsey estate the Knatchbulls call home, dates back to before the 11th century and was once part of the local abbey. Seward agreed, adding that Philip was not the type of man to discuss private details of his marriage with anyone. Devastated by this horror, Penny and Norton decided to postpone their wedding for two months. Her full name and title are Penelope, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. By coincidence, Leonora shared the same birthday as Uncle Dickie. She was the only non-family member at Philips small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary. Sure enough, the queen reluctantly meets with her husband's companion one-on-one and even invites her to ride with her to church service. But even before the Big Day, everyone was already spiraling about several plot pointsincluding scenes involving Penny Knatchbull. She was pictured attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show with him several times over the years and it was in the 1990s that Penny and Prince Philip's bond is understood to have become incredibly close. Jeannie, as she is known, is the sister of former Bahamas Attorney General Sean McWeeney. A TV insider last year said: The highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by the Queen or the rest of the Royal Family.. Carriage driving is a sport where one driver steers a carriage drawn by one, two, or four horses, with three tests of skill and speed. For Philip, it meant he gained an attractive companion to events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show and at numerous social gatherings associated with the sport and beyond. If she had been hurt by rumors of supposed dalliances, she would never let on.. Her father was Reginald Eastwood, described by the Sun as a butcher-turned-businessman.. The closeness between Philip and Penny clearly did not upset the Queen, at least not publicly. Philip says he thought that Charles . Three years later, she married Norton Knatchbull, Lord Romsey at Romsey Abbey in Hampshire, andPrince Charles served as best man at their wedding. Apparently, the intimate scenes involve touching hands as he divulges details of his marriage and well actively see them pursuing an affair.. It was even rumoured Prince Charles had cut off his friendship with Penny after someone close to him shared their suspicion that his father was having an affair with her. Penny and Norton at their wedding in 1979. Philip, having dealt with his own fair share of grief, helps Knatchbull get her mind off the tragic death, encouraging her to take up his beloved sport of carriage driving and engaging her in spirited philosophical conversations. Her marriage troubles came on top of worry about their son, Nicholas, who was a year above Prince William at Eton, and had spent years hooked on crack cocaine and heroin. Her husband Norton, now the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, fled to the Caribbean to be with fashion designer Eugenie Nuttall. Unlike her husband, Penny was the daughter of a. Penny was introduced to Philip at age 20 while dating husband-to-be Norton Knatchbull, Philips godson and grandson of the dukes uncle Lord Mountbatten. Philip, though, was the right consort for Elizabeth when they married, and they have stayed in love ever since, despite going through various ups and downs throughout their . To palace staff, she had another nickname: "And Also." Promise. Seward noted the monarch's affection in her book "Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century," connecting her along with Philip to Knatchbull's presence at royal functions and her nickname "And Also". He trusted her implicitly and she adored him. Getty20th October 1979: The grandson of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Lord Romsey, marries Penelope Eastwood at Romsey Abbey. Restaurant critics from the Telegraph to The Guardian have taken shots at Angus Steak House's reputation. For Philip, it meant he gained an attractive companion to events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show and at numerous social gatherings associated with the sport and beyond. However, The Crown gets the timeline of Philip and Knatchbulls friendship right, according to Sewards book. Charles served as best man at the wedding and, in the years following, Knatchbull actually befriended Charles before getting to know his father. Even when they had these moments where Penny actually said, You should not marry Diana. However testy that conversation may have gone, Knatchbull remained a visitor to Wood Farm until Philip's death in 2021. She looked heartbroken when she arrived. Tatler reports that King Charles III is godfather to the Knatchbull's oldest, Nicholas, and that he gave Alexandra away at her wedding to Thomas Hooper in 2016 (Norton was said to be too ill). Philip also gives sound advice on the running of the Broadlands estate, and they have the ability to cheer each other on even in the direst of circumstances. This friendship did exist in real life, though (and viewers should know this by now) The Crown imagines how exact interactions and conversations went down. The relationship between the First Lord Mountbatten and Philip featured prominently in a previous season of The Crown.. She was diagnosed with cancer and died at age 5. In happier times, she could be seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the royal family, waving at the crowds and taking in the trooping of the color (per the Irish Times). As Diana and Charles wage a media. Her husband Norton Knatchbull is Philip's godson and a grandson of Philip's uncle, Louis Mountbatten (per iNews ). Philip encouraged her to take up carriage driving and supported her when her husband, Norton, his godson, left her in 2010 for a fling with Nassau-based fashion designer Eugenie Nuttall.. Knatchbull was one of only 30 people invited to the Duke of Edinburghs funeral, according to The Radio Times. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The Crown: Prince Philip's Relationship With Penelope Knatchbull The newlyweds inherited Mountbatten's home of Broadlands in Hampshire.freveale. Her surviving children have their own connections to the royal family. With Philip and Penny, who was previously known as Lady Romsey then Lady Brabourne, it was a meeting of the minds. Months later, in September, she attended the queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey. Read more about Lord Mountbattens death at the hands of the IRA here. But the two have continued to have a presence in each other's lives. In 2010, according to Tatler, Norton Knatchbull left his wife and his family home of Broadlands to live with his mistress, Lady Nuttall, in the Bahamas. Their marriage gave her the title of Lady Romsey, later becoming The Lady Brabourne in 2017, and she has now inherited the title of Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Her husband Norton, now the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, fled to the Caribbean to be with fashion designer Eugenie Nuttall. "The Crown" Season 5: Who Is Penny Knatchbull Penny Knatchbull is a member of the British aristocracy and related by marriage to the royals, including both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Three weeks after the accident, which Philip blamed on him being blinded by the low winter sun, it was announced he had stopped driving. She became such a close confidant of his that she was often referred to his And Alsowhen listing his guests for an event, he would conclude with and also Penny.. Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip reached out to the Knatchbulls after the death of their five year-old daughter . She was one of the only people apart from family members who he saw at Wood Farm, the five-bedroom home on the Sandringham estate where he spent most of his time after he retired from royal duties in 2017. It was only when he feared he would be cut off from the familys 100million fortune that he checked into rehab and kicked his habits. Its absolutely cuckoo.. They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull go way back, having first met each other at a polo match in Great Windsor Park in 1974. The bomb blast on board his fishing boat off County Sligo, Ireland, which featured in the last series of The Crown, also killed Nortons 14-year-old brother Nicholas and his grandmother, Lady Brabourne. If she had been hurt by rumours of supposed dalliances, she would never let on., Philip himself would simply laugh off any suggestion of impropriety. Norton Knatchbull was a cousin of the then-prince and a good friend; they both attended Gordonstoun boarding school (per Jonathan Dimbley's "The Prince of Wales: A Biography"). After theyd spent a weekend with her, [Penny] said that [Diana] appeared to be auditioning for a role in a costume drama. It's also implied in the movie, The Queen but that is also written by Peter Morgan. Countess Penny attends the private funeral service for Prince Philip. Express reported that Penny regularly saw Philip before his death, and the Queen sought her help to get the aging Duke of Edinburgh to stop driving. Penny was introduced to Philip at age 20 while dating husband-to-be Norton Knatchbull, Philip's godson and grandson of the duke's uncle Lord Mountbatten. Its interesting, though slightly tangential, but after he retired to Wood Farm where he continued his carriage driving, he would go out every morning at nine. In the first episode of season 4, Lord Mountbatten was blown up on a fishing boat by the Irish Republican Army (the IRA). Besides keeping in touch with her old friend, Knatchbull reportedly played a key part in an embarrassing public episode of Philip's retired life. I read that Matt Smith played the part of Phillip with the idea in mind that he was cheating on Elizabeth. She and Prince Philip reportedly forged a connection over their mutual love for the outdoors and horses. Ingrid says: They were brought together by tragedy but were there for each other through thick and thin. And one more thing connects the couple to the royal family: their house. Netflix are not interested in peoples feelings.. Penny, left to manage her and Nortons 5,000-acre Hampshire estate alone, reportedly gathered together all the staff while her estranged husband was mid-flight and told them he had gone but everything else would stay the same. She and the duke also both shared a boisterous sense of humour, according to Ingrid. Ingrid Seward, author of biography Prince Philip Revealed: A Man Of His Century, said: The Queen had enlisted the help of the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who visited Philip and helped convince him to give up driving.. And so it was the same kind of thing. A TV insider last year said: The highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by the Queen or the rest of the Royal Family.. The Full Lyrics to Look at Us Now (Honeycomb), Inside Riley Keoughs 'Daisy Jones' Transformation, Tracy Oliver on That Harlem Season 2 Finale, Aminah Nieves on Those Shocking 1923 Scenes. However, despite their estrangement, Penelope and Norton remained legally married. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. A family friend said: Its very unusual to be given away by someone else at your wedding, even if it is by the Prince of Wales. He passed away in April 2021, and this is them hanging in May 2022: Not great! Back then, Penny was simply Penelope Eastwood, daughter of Reg Eastwood, a wealthy butcher turned businessman who founded the Angus Steakhouse restaurants. According to Seward, Knatchbull was close to both Elizabeth and Philip, and is a friend to their son, now-King Charles III. She did allow Norton back to Broadlands in 2014, not to themarital home, but to a converted barn there. He was also shown forging a close relationship with Prince Charles, as mentor and father figure. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Lady Penny and Prince Philip did become dear friends and bond over riding carriages. Powered by. She was a keeper not only of his secrets but those of the family.. The Sun repeated rumors that the two old friends were estranged after a confidante of Charles put it in his ear that Penelope and Philip were having an affair. The Crown creator Peter Morgan has long been fascinated by the 73-year marriage between Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, devoting story lines in the series first four seasons to the unique power dynamicdramatizing, for example, Philips struggle sacrificing his naval career to support his wife just five years into their marriage, when she suddenly became queen. And often he was accompanied by a neighbor, a woman who was quite a lot younger, who he had taught to carriage drive. They share a love of carriage driving in the show, and Philip confides that he and the Queen have grown in separate directions, a portrayal hotly disputed by people close to the former Monarch, The Post reported. Its absolutely cuckoo.. 'The Crown': Who Is Penny Knatchbull, Prince Philip's Friend? Their The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now.