Royal Photographer Says Prince Philip Kept Erotic Book on His Shelf — and 'Laughed' About It!
Royal photographer Julian Calder was behind the lens for some iconic shots of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
Indigo/Getty
Prince Philip at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2011.Years after his death, Prince Philip is still full of surprises.
As the royal family and fans reflect ahead of the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death on Sept. 8, royal photographer Julian Calder claimed that the late Duke of Edinburgh kept a surprising book in his collection while appearing on Hello! A Right Royal Podcast. Queen Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, who died at age 99 in April 2021.
Calder captured some of the most iconic formal portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in their later years, from the Queen in full regalia of the Scottish Order of the Thistle — complete with tiara — near Balmoral Castle in Scotland in 2010 to her Diamond Jubilee portraits with Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.
The book claim came up when Calder explained that while courtiers never gave him certain rules to follow while photographing the royals, he once asked for an erotic book to be removed from the background as he took the late Duke of Edinburgh’s picture.
Antony Jones/Getty
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Windsor Cup in 2018."I once did a portrait of Prince Phillip in his office. And he was standing there, and I was quite young at the time,” Calder told co-hosts Andrea Caamano, Emily Nash and Emmy Griffiths.
"And I'm looking through the lens, I thought, 'God just behind his right ear is a book — The Joy of Sex. I had to say, 'Prince Philip, should we move that?' And he laughed, and he got his equerry to come and move it. I'd have looked stupid!” he added.
The Joy of Sex by Dr. Alex Comfort was published in 1972 and became an international bestseller. The text “dared to celebrate the joy of human physical intimacy with such authority and candor that a whole generation felt empowered to enjoy sex” and has since been revised and re-illustrated, Penguin Random House said in a statement.
Prince Philip uttered some unforgettable gaffes during his seven decades of service to the crown and was further famed for his quick wit and dry humor. Earlier this summer, Prince William said one such amusing anecdote about his grandfather completely made sense while visiting Northern Ireland.
During a June 27 stop at East Belfast Mission, the Prince of Wales chatted with Rev. Brian Anderson, who shared a funny story about Prince Philip, Hello! reported.
The Reverend recalled how the royal's grandfather used directness — and some colorful language — to his advantage when persuading politicians and other civil servants to provide funding for the building that Prince William was visiting.
He said that Philip “immediately” asked, “Why don't you just give them the money?” — but with more obscene language.
“There was an expletive in there, but I'm not going to say that,” the Reverend said, per the outlet. "And three weeks later, the money turned up."
The Prince of Wales responded, “That sounds like my grandfather.”
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
After a string of hospitalizations, Prince Philip — the longest-serving British consort — announced his retirement from royal duties in April 2017. He and the Queen were rarely apart, with Philip by her side throughout her record-breaking reign.
On their golden wedding anniversary in 1997, Queen Elizabeth offered a rare glimpse of her tightly-held heart. "He has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years," she said. "I owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim."
In their later years, the royal couple continued their interest in wildlife paintings, which they enjoyed collecting together, horse racing, gardening, their growing family and their beloved dogs.
Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London on Feb. 16, 2021, after "feeling unwell." After 28 days, he came home. But on the morning of April 9, he died at the age of 99.
"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time.
"His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.
"Further announcements will be made in due course.
"The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."
Due to the COVID pandemic, the Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in a smaller funeral than previous royal burials — likely what he would have preferred. Prince Philip was buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021, in a scaled-down ceremony attended by about 30 family members and close friends.
"Ironically, it is probably how he would have liked," former palace spokeswoman Ailsa Anderson told PEOPLE at the time. "No fuss, no bother. Right through his life, he never knew what all the fuss was about."
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
