The Archbishop of Canterbury called him "bloody rude;" George VI's private secretary thought him "rough, ill-tempered and uneducated;" courtiers feared he was "a foreign interloper out for the goodies;" daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson found him "very frightening;" and the Queen Mother labeled him "the Hun." Journalists have continually portrayed him as a gaffe-prone serial philanderer, with European outlets going way off-piste and claiming he has fathered 24 illegitimate children and even had a gay fling with a former French president. Prince Philip says "the impression the public has got is unfair," though he doesn't go to great lengths to defend himself. There is no self-serving autobiography and his interviews with broadcasters or writers are done grudgingly. The Duke sets out to explore the man behind the various myths, drawing on interviews with relations, friends, and courtiers as well as authorized biographies, international newspaper reports, and the Duke's own words. It brings to life some rare aspects of his character, from a love of poetry and religion to his fondness for Duke Ellington and his fascination with UFOs. It also explains why for over seven decades he has been the Queen's "strength and stay"--and why he is regarded by many as a national treasure.
