'The Crown' To Trigger Queen Elizabeth: Controversial Prince Philip, Penny Knatchbull Alleged Romance to be Explored?
"The Crown" creators are reportedly "set to enrage royals," as the forthcoming season investigates Prince Philip's connection with heiress Penny Knatchbull, who was 30 years his younger.
The show is reportedly set to reveal all the salacious details of this affair, despite the possible backlash from the palace. Penny will be played by Natascha McElhone, 68, with Jonathan Pryce playing The Queen's husband Prince Philip, who died in April at the age of 99.
It was earlier revealed already that Imelda Staunton will play Her Majesty.
According to sources, the royal family is unlikely to welcome the investigation into Philip and Penny's connection. But the show would have its insiders and sources.
An insider told The Sun, "This is a relationship which naturally raised a few eyebrows and sparked quite a few whispers, but Philip and Penny maintained they were just friends."
The insider added, "The makers of The Crown believe it is a relationship worthy of exploring and casting a veteran actor like Natascha is a reflection of how high profile the role is."
Insiders revealed they knew the palace would not be open to help reveal the sordid details for the show and would probably hate the fact that this will be focused on by the show.
The Buckingham Palace is yet to comment though. Netflix representatives have also not given a statement.
Penny was Prince Philip's regular confidante, faithful friend, and "keeper of secrets." It was because of this close relationship that some cannot help but claimed what they have is more than friendship.
While their mutual love of carriage driving has received a lot of attention, the reality is that they were already friends and knew each other for decades. It's unclear therefore if all the rumors made of their time together and of their common interests were just that, rumors.
Penny is said to have met Philip in 1974 while dating Norton Knatchbull, now the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a close friend of Prince Charles's at Gordonstoun School in Scotland. She was schooled in Switzerland before attending the London School of Economics to pursue a business degree. She is the only daughter of Reginald Eastwood, a butcher-turned-businessman.
Earl Mountbatten, 73, is the grandson of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's adored uncle, and resides at Broadlands in Hampshire, where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh spent their honeymoon.
It was just two months after Lord Mountbatten was assassinated by the IRA when he married Penny in 1979, with Prince Charles as best man. A bomb put on the family's fishing boat exploded in County Sligo, killing the Earl's brother Nicholas and grandmother, Lady Brabourne.
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The Countess was known as Lady Romsey until 2005, and then Lady Brabourne until her present title was bestowed upon her after the death of her husband's mother in 2017. Penny and Philip were always close friends in the Royal circle, but tragedy brought them closer together when Penny's youngest daughter Leonora died of kidney cancer at the age of five in 1991.
Following Leonora's death, Philip began to take Penny on carriage rides, and she developed a liking for the sport, which one assistant characterized as "one of his major loves after the Queen."
They began to appear in public together at various events. During her husband's absence, Penny took over the administration of the 18th century, 60-room home, and she still runs the house and land today. Until "The Crown's" showrunners confirm the news, it remains to be seen what the upcoming seasons of the Netflix show will truly cover. After all, the palace is full of stories that are interesting to tell.
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