The rumors of Prince Philip's infidelity are central to the plot of the second season of The Crown. Throughout its 10 episode arc, the show hints at his alleged affairs, suggesting he had feelings for ballerina Galina Ulanova and flings while traveling abroad without the Queen. But we never actually see Philip cheat on his wife on-screen.
The storyline lives in the gray area, and, at least according to Robert Lacey, The Crown's historical consultant, that was the intention: to lay out the facts and let the viewer make their own assumptions, a choice that emphasizes the fact that for the royal family, the appearance of impropriety is nearly as bad as committing the sin itself.
"Sometimes we have to reflect the ambiguity of the truth," Lacey told me while promoting his book, The Crown, The Official Companion. "That’s one of the appeals of the series. That we don’t go for easy solutions. We don’t say 'yes, Philip was unfaithful,' nor do we say 'he was pure as the driven snow.' We say 'here is the evidence, you make up your mind.'"
Lacey called it a "hot spot area" in the historical development of this season. There's even a divide among those responsible for making The Crown. The show's creator Peter Morgan has made it clear that he thinks Philip was unfaithful. Earlier this year he reportedly said, "Doesn't everyone in Britain know [Philip] had an affair?"
Royal consultant Lacey believes Philip never betrayed the Queen. "I actually believe he was not unfaithful," Lacey said. "I feel that just as I believe that the Queen does not watch The Crown because she’s above it."
But Lacey also acknowledges that Philip has made it easy for the rumors to fester by spending time alone with female companions, even traveling privately with them.
"Prince Philip has never made any secret that later in life he had several very close lady friends with whom he would go away for weekends—one friend used to enjoy carriage riding with him. Another, philosophical debates and discussions—but Philip’s attitude has always been, 'So what? My wife trusts me.'"
The question The Crown asks its viewers is, do you?
The Crown, The Official Companion is available on Amazon. The Crown premieres on Netflix on December 8.
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
