prince philip final portrait

Prince Philip's final portrait: secret detail revealed by royal artist

Ralph Heimans captured the Duke at Windsor Castle

Online Digital News Director
April 14, 2021

It's an extraordinary painting that perfectly captures Prince Philip's character, right down to the mischievous glint in his eye.

In 2017, Australian artist Ralph Heimans was given the honour of capturing the Duke of Edinburgh at his home in Windsor Castle in the same year that he retired from public service. And now he has shared unknown details about his royal painting.

MORE: The few times the Queen has been moved to tears in public - see emotional photos

Speaking on the Sky News Daily podcast with Dermot Murnaghan, Ralph spoke about his numerous encounters with the Prince and revealed more about the poignant setting chosen for Philip's final official portrait.

WATCH: Prince Philip's best family moments

The Duke can be seen standing in the grand corridor at Windsor Castle, located in the private quarters he shared with Her Majesty The Queen. Philip is stood side on with his arms behind his back, and dressed in smart evening attire.

MORE: Queen Margrethe of Denmark makes poignant decision following Prince Philip's death

READ: Kate Middleton had a special connection to Prince Philip long before royal wedding

He is notably also wearing the Order of the Elephant sash – Denmark's highest ranking honour, presented to the Prince as a nod to his ancestry as a Danish prince.

Ralph Heimans was given the honour of painting Prince Philip's final portrait

What is most significant, however, is the space surrounding the Duke. Ralph revealed that the corridor itself held great personal meaning, disclosing that both Philip's mother and grandmother were born in a room located at the end of the long passageway.

MORE: The Queen's one surprising trait that 'irked' Prince Philip

Poignantly, Prince Philip also passed away at Windsor Castle on 9 April; as Ralph noted, the Duke's whole life span is reflected in that corridor.

The Duke himself was a keen artist

Ralph also reflected on the pair's time together, and spoke about the Duke's passion for painting, revealing that the royal had practiced as an artist in his spare time over the years and used to sit on the deck of the Britannia to paint sea and landscapes.

READ: Prince Harry won't salute at Prince Philip's funeral – unlike Prince William and Prince Charles

"Sitting was, in fact, a lot of fun," he shared. "As you can imagine, he's full of humour but underlying that there's a sense of seriousness about the portrait.

Prince Philip passed away at Windsor Castle on 9 April

"And I think he was very engaged throughout the process; he enjoyed it very much and was very chatty afterwards and so it was a really enjoyable experience as well as a very extraordinary privilege."

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more