 The pair knew each other for decades ( UK Press via Getty Images) Philip and Penny, who is 32 years younger than the late Duke of Edinburgh, are said to have first met in 1975 when she became engaged to Norton Knatchbull. He is a grandson of Lord Mountbatten, who was Philip's uncle and was also portrayed in previous series of The Crown by Greg Wise and Charles Dance. The wedding between Penny, who is also the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and her husband was delayed following the murder of Lord Mountbatten in 1979 in Ireland at the hands of the IRA. But when it did take place in 1979, King Charles, who was Prince of Wales at the time, was best man for the groom. Bonded by grief Philip and Penny with her daughter Lady Alexandra Knat){kind=link}
The new season of The Crown, which has just dropped on Netflix, examines the close bond between the late Queen’s husband Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Their close bond has sparked many rumours over they years – and now the relationship between Prince Philip and confidant Penny Knatchbull is explored in the controversial new episodes of The Crown.
The pair, who are said to have enjoyed decades of friendship, are portrayed in the Netflix hit as touching hands while Philip, played by Jonathan Pryce, moans to Penny, played by Natasha McElhone, about his marriage to the Queen.
Although the show does not depict the pair having an affair – it strongly implies their bond might have been more than friendship. However, it is something that has always been denied – including by Philip himself – and The Crown has been heavily criticised for embellishing and dramatising storylines for entertainment purposes.
But what exactly was the bond like between the pair, how did they become friends and what did the Queen think of their closeness? Here we take a look…