Prince Philip: The Duke of Edinburgh allegedly wanted to sue Netflix, here's why

Prince Philip allegedly contacted his lawyers over a portrayal of him in episode nine, season two of the Netflix hit series The Crown.

Who was Princess Cecilie?

Princess Cecilie was born on 22nd June 1911 and was the third-eldest sister to the Duke of Edinburgh. In 1931, Her Royal Highness married Georg Donatus. Together they had three children, two boys, Prince Ludwig (1931) and Prince Alexander (1933) and a little girl named Princess Johanna (1936).

In 1937, the Princess, heavily pregnant with her fourth child, flew to London to attend a family wedding. Her husband and her two sons accompanied Princess Cecilie. Princess Johanna was considered too young, according to Salon Privé.

The flight pilot decided to make an unscheduled landing near Brussels. However, he didn’t see a tall factory chimney due to dense fog. The aeroplane’s wings hit the chimney and burst into flames. Of the eleven passengers, no one survived.

The rescue team found the body of a newborn, leading them to believe that the Princess gave birth during the flight. There is also speculation that this is the reason for the unscheduled landing.

Season 2, Episode 9

The penultimate episode of the second season of the Netflix drama touches on the tragic death of Prince Philip’s sister Princess Cecilie. The episode Paterfamilias was broadcast for the first time in 2017 without a fictional disclaimer, The Times reports.

In the episode, a 16-year-old Prince Philip gets into trouble at Gordonstoun, his boarding school. His misdemeanour results in his inability to spend holidays in Germany with his heavily pregnant sister Cecilie.

Princess Cecilie then tells her younger brother that she and her family must fly to London to attend a wedding.

The plane Princess Cecilie, her husband, and two young sons were on crashed. Everyone onboard died. In the Netflix dramatisation, at the funeral of Princess Cecilie, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip’s father, openly blames his youngest son for the death of his beloved daughter.

He said:

Had it not been for Philip and his indiscipline, she would never have taken that flight. It’s true, isn’t it, boy? You’re the reason we’re all here burying my favourite child. Get him out of here.

The reality

The Times notes that the Duke of Edinburgh was very close to his sister and that the unexpected death of almost her entire family deeply affected him. The Duke said:

I have the very clearest recollection of the profound shock with which I heard the news of the crash and the death of my sister and her family.

A close friend of the late Prince Philip believed the Duke was furious and very upset about what The Crown said about him.

Royal historian Hugo Vickers claimed Prince Philip seriously considered suing Netflix for the episode airing. According to him, the Duke contacted his advisors at the London firm Farrer & Co about his options.

In the end, the Duke abandoned the idea, with the age-old mantra ‘never complain, never explain’ prevailing. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams was not surprised by the Prince’s actions. He explained that if the Royal Family decides to sue or go to court, an ‘enormous amount of attention’ will be drawn to the subject.

He declared to Insider:

The reason he didn't do it was because the whole world would've heard of this, and perhaps some would've believed that it might have been true.

Sources used:

- Insider: Prince Philip 'considered' suing Netflix over episode of 'The Crown' implied he was blamed for sister's death: report

- The Times: Philip wanted to sue The Crown after being blamed for sister’s death

- Salon Privé Magazine: The Tragic Story of Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark