Philip's regard for German cousins who were kept out of public eye for years
German relatives helped shape Duke's life but were judged too controversial for postwar British public
10 April 2021 • 1:30pm
Prince Philip and the Queen on their final visit to Germany in 2015
Credit: Ian Jones Retained/IJO
For decades Prince Philip had to keep his relationship with his German relatives out of the public eye, but in his final years he was able to be seen in public with his cousins, with whom he had privately always been close.
When he and the Queen came to Germany for the last time together six years ago, they were entertained at a formal dinner with his cousins in Frankfurt. Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse and a distant cousin, breezily told the British press, “Usually I see them in England at Windsor, so it’s lovely to see them over here.”