The 8 Best Books About Prince Philip

Royal writer Gyles Brandreth knew the Duke of Edinburgh over the course of four decades—they first met in the 1970s. Following Prince Philip's death at age 99 in 2021, Brandreth published this "final portrait" of the royal. "Regrets are a waste of energy. There's no point in having regrets," the Duke told Brandreth.

Royal writer Robert Jobson, too, looks at the entirety of Prince Philip's life, in the aptly titled Prince Philip's Century . Jobson met Philip numerous times in his capacity as royal correspondent, and the biography paints a warm picture of the royal, who was "the Queen's most loyal and trusted supporter."

Philip Eade's Prince Philip focuses in on the tumultuous early years of Prince Philip, and how much of his childhood was shaded by tragedy—his family's exile from Greece, his mother Princess Alice's mental health struggles, and the death of his sister Cecile when he was just 16. It is an informative, detailed account of Prince Philip before he was married to the Queen.

"The aim of this book," Ian Lloyd writes in the introduction, "is to present an overview of the Duke's life in 100 chapters." Lloyd draws on interviews with Philip's friends and family, in an effort to understand the man behind the various myths. Readers learn about his love of poetry, his fascination with UFOs, and so much more.

In this 1971 biography, author Basil Boothroyd was the first to interview Prince Philip in detail about his life. In fact, the biography was written at the request of Philip, and many insights that we have today are thanks to Boothroyd's biography. While the book is now out of print, used copies are still available online.

Royal writer Ingrid Seward peels back Prince Philip's many layers in Prince Philip Revealed , published in 2020. As Seward explains her purpose of the biography, "I have attempted to explain who this man is and how he has managed to survive within his extraordinary life and make it actually worth living." It serves as a highly readable dive into the life and character of Prince Philip.

The other Glyes Brandreth book on this list focuses in on Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's decades-long marriage. As a bonus, this book includes family photographs from Prince Philip, along with other photographs from the royal collection. Published in 2005, it's a fascinating read on their royal partnertship.

The only book on this list that doesn't exclusively focus on Philip, Tina Brown's The Palace Papers remains a must-read for any modern royal watchers. It was filled with revealing royal anecdotes , including how Philip did not want to lower the Union Jack over Buckingham Palace for Princess Diana's death.

Last but not least: Town & Country 's special issue on Elizabeth and Philip is not a book, but it is an intimate portrait of their long-lasting love story.