Royal Cheaters: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip Haunted By Ugly History
On Nov. 20, 2020, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will be celebrating their 73rd wedding anniversary. While it looks like their marriage has withstood the test of time and surpassed every scandal and controversy thrown at the royal family, the couple also suffered major infidelity issues.
The minute Queen Elizabeth II ascended the British throne, her relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh has always been the subject of public scrutiny. Many people praised their half-a-century long marriage and even consider it as one of the strongest relationships these days.
But despite having an image of a perfect marriage, the 94-year-old monarch and her 99-year-old spouse also had their fair share of cheating scandals that almost rocked their relationship.
While the Buckingham Palace has debunked all the cheating allegations over the years, the couple's unfaithful rumors continue to resurface, especially after the hit Netflix series "The Crown" bravely tackled these cheating claims during the series' second installment.
Prince Philip's Lad's Holiday
Rumors of infidelity on Prince Philip's part started back in 1956 when the then-father of two (to Prince Charles and Princess Anne) embarked on a five-month journey aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia to open the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
During the trip, Prince Philip's private secretary Mike Parker was already having trouble with his marriage after his wife filed a divorce, citing unfaithfulness issues. Parker's marriage problems opened up the rumors that the Duke of Edinburgh could be taking advantage of the royal tour to mingle with different women.
The Duke was also linked to a dancer and actress Pat Kirkwood, whom he met back in 1948. Cheating rumors started after Philip took the dancer out to dinner. According to royal experts, while the duo denied the rumors, the cheating issues have always hunted the golden royal couple.
Queen Elizabeth's "Porchey"
However, it looks like Prince Philip is not the only one tainted with infidelity issues. An episode of "The Crown" featured the close relationship of Queen Elizabeth II to her childhood friend, whom she fondly called "Porchey" or short for Lord Porchester (Henry George Reginald Molyneux Herbert )
The Queen and Porchey shared the same interest in equestrian and breeding horses. Porchey became Her Majesty's racing manager in 1969 and was considered one of the few people that could speak directly to the Queen about her horses.
Speaking to People, British historian Robert Lacey described Porchey as a "quiet man" who shares the same wavelength with the Queen when it comes to her passion for horses.
While there haveb been plenty of rumors that Queen Elizabeth had an affair with Porchey after Philip returned from his Britannia adventures, the royals have ignored the malicious reports that suggested that the BFFs were more than friends.
Lord Porchester has a happy love life on his own, as he was married to Anglo-American Jean Margaret Wallop in 1956. They shared three children, including the current Earl of Carnarvon, George Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert.
