Queen Elizabeth II's former press secretary has discussed cheating claims surrounding the late monarch's husband, Prince Philip.
Dickie Arbiter reacted to the latest series of The Crown, which dropped on Netflix on Wednesday, as a series of dramatisations of royal events were portrayed on screens worldwide.
The 82-year-old says Philip was a "window shopper" who "never bought" as described the Duke's relationship with the late Queen.
Responding to a question about Philip and his relationship with friend Penny Knatchbull, he said: "The relationship was a common interest in carriage driving.
"Prince Philip took it up at the age of 71 having suffered from arthritis and he could no longer play polo…
Prince Philip's relationships have been explored in the latest series of The Crown.
POOL
The show's release follows Queen Elizabeth II's death.TOM NICHOLSON
"Penny had lost her daughter and was completely at a loss and… they [The Crown] had this made-up scene of Penny showing a carriage that was in one of their yards, which never happened.
"It’s good drama, that’s what it’s all about… What you shouldn’t believe are the words attached to it and some of the events as well.
"But she did take an interest in carriage driving, they had a common interest, there was a 30-year age difference and there was no way there was any relationship."
Speaking on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch, he went on to claim: "One of the things about Prince Philip, he was always accused, certainly in the 50s and 60s in French newspapers, of playing around and he was labelled as having an affair with one actress or another, or a dancer.
"Prince Philip was a good-looking man, ladies fell for him when he came on the scene, he was good in uniform. But one thing Prince Philip was, he was a window shopper, he never bought… he flirted but it didn’t go any further."
Controversy has surrounded the release of the latest series of The Crown given the short span of time since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The show has reportedly been forced to include a disclaimer, with dramatisations of events such as the death of Princess Diana included.
The show remains wildly popular among audiences, with thousands of fans logging on to social media to voice their thoughts on the latest series.
