prince charles prince philip bbc documentary© Photo: BBC

Prince Charles reveals final conversation with dad Prince Philip the day before he died

The pair spoke about the Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday

Content Managing Editor
September 21, 2021

Prince Charles has recalled one of the final conversations he had with his father Prince Philip on the day before his tragic death in April.

Speaking on new BBC documentary Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, which will air on Wednesday evening, Charles revealed that he and his dad were talking about plans for Philip's upcoming 100th birthday in June – when the Duke of Edinburgh responded with his typical quick wit.

READ: Sophie Wessex reveals surprising unknown detail about Prince Philip

Opening the one-off programme, Charles recalled: "I was talking to him the day before he died, we were talking about his birthday coming up.

WATCH: Prince Charles talks about fun childhood with Prince Philip

"I said (speaks loudly), 'We're talking about your birthday,' because he was getting a bit deaf. And he said, 'What?' And I said, 'We're talking about your birthday and whether there's going to be a reception.'"

READ: Princess Eugenie emotionally discusses Prince Philip meeting baby August

READ: Why Prince Philip's will is going to remain private

Laughing, Charles went on: "And he said, 'Well I've got to be alive for it, haven't I?'" After a pause, Charles added: "I said, 'I knew you'd say that!' Anyway, it's a happy memory."

© Photo: BBC

Charles shared a happy memory from the day before his father passed away

The documentary was filmed in early 2021 and was originally conceived as part of the Duke's 100th birthday celebrations. It was altered after Philip's sad death on 9 April, aged 99, and now features interviews with his family recorded before and after his passing.

All of the Queen and Philip's children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – took part, as well as the couple's adult grandchildren. The family have shared some sweet and funny anecdotes about the late Duke, particularly shining a light on Philip's humour and how he liked to play practical jokes.

© Photo: BBC

Princess Eugenie spoke about her and Philip's shared love of art

Charles, 72, said: "He was marvellous at arranging silly games. I mean, the fun of having obviously young parents was… there were lots of chasing around and mad things."

Princess Anne, 71, recalled fishing with her father in Scotland, saying: "I always said I couldn't catch anything and he'd say, 'Nonsense, come with me.' And after I had been casting for about half an hour, he said, 'I see what you mean.' And I just knew it was something I could never do."

One of Prince Philip's granddaughters Princess Eugenie also spoke about their shared love of art. Eugenie revealed how Philip gave her a touching bespoke handmade painting he had done of a bunch of flowers as a wedding present in 2018, as the documentary looked at the Duke's artistic skills.

"It was so nice, it's now sitting in my house in London and I'm so proud of it, you know?" Eugenie said.

Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, airs Wednesday 22 September at 9pm on BBC One.

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