--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The private Prince Philip - the inner man…" description: "\"The private Prince Philip - the inner man - was infinitely more difficult to reach. He was more sensitive, more thoughtful and more tolerant than you'd..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/gyles-brandreth-4172_difficult_the-private-prince-philip-the-inner-man_3077331.png" --- # The private Prince Philip - the inner man - was infinitely… ![“The private Prince Philip - the inner man - was infinitely more difficult to reach. He was more sensitive, more thoughtful and more tolerant than you'd expect, but he kept these qualities hidden.” quote by Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/gyles-brandreth-4172_difficult_the-private-prince-philip-the-inner-man_3077331.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/gyles-brandreth-4172_difficult_the-private-prince-philip-the-inner-man_3077331.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/gyles-brandreth-4172_difficult_the-private-prince-philip-the-inner-man_3077331.png) > “The private Prince Philip - the inner man - was infinitely more difficult to reach. He was more sensitive, more thoughtful and more tolerant than you'd expect, but he kept these qualities hidden.” [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prince Philip was emotionally complex and private, hiding his sensitivity and thoughtfulness. **In simple terms:** He was deeper than people realized. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden depths in others. Themes empathy privacy perception Mood reflective thoughtful Type observational analytical When to use this quote - family gatherings - media interviews - personal relationships Key Concepts emotional intelligence public image Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you make about public figures? - How can you foster deeper connections? A Different Perspective Public personas often mask true character. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Hidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hidden/) [Inner Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-man-1186338/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prince-philip/) [Private Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-prince-5233969/) [Qualities Hidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities-hidden-5233968/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) ## Related quotes > [I was lucky enough to know Prince Philip in his prime - the most dynamic man I have ever met. And I was privileged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-was-lucky-enough-to-know-prince-philip-in-his-prime-the-most/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip protected the Queen and made her laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-protected-the-queen-and-made-her-laugh/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip prides himself on being a realist. He knows he is not going to live for ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-prides-himself-on-being-a-realist-he-knows-he-is-not/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Was Prince Philip in love when he proposed to Elizabeth? At the time, he was a relatively penniless prince, with a rackety family and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/was-prince-philip-in-love-when-he-proposed-to-elizabeth-at-the-time/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip had formally 'retired' in the summer of 2017, a couple of months after his 96th birthday, because the Queen encouraged him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-had-formally-retired-in-the-summer-of-2017-a-couple-of/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip is conscious of his place in the heritage of the Royal Family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-is-conscious-of-his-place-in-the-heritage-of-the-royal/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [In many ways, Prince Philip was remarkably good-humored and long-suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/in-many-ways-prince-philip-was-remarkably-good-humored-and-long/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [To me Prince Philip was a hero and a role model - and a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/to-me-prince-philip-was-a-hero-and-a-role-model-and-a-friend/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Once, during one of the jubilee tours, I was in the car immediately behind theirs and I watched Prince Philip telling the Queen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/once-during-one-of-the-jubilee-tours-i-was-in-the-car-immediately/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [I told Prince Philip that, having met them both, I was struck, not by the differences between him and Charles, but by their similarities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-told-prince-philip-that-having-met-them-both-i-was-struck-not-by/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip was a funny man who liked to laugh and make others laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-was-a-funny-man-who-liked-to-laugh-and-make-others-laugh/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip's principal role since 1952 has been to support the Queen. Alongside that, he has created his own working life as founder, fellow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-s-principal-role-since-1952-has-been-to-support-the/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip is very contrary. He challenges everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-is-very-contrary-he-challenges-everything/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [“A man who chirks up the inner man should put his inner nature through the mill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/a-man-who-chirks-up-the-inner-man-should-put-his-inner-nature-through/) [Anyaele Sam Chiyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anyaele-sam-chiyson/) > [The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man's business but build up his character. The blow at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maltbie-davenport-babcock/the-tests-of-life-are-to-make-not-break-us-trouble-may-demolish-a-man/) [Maltbie Davenport Babcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maltbie-davenport-babcock/) ## More by Gyles Brandreth > [Praise makes me humble, but when I am abused, I know that I have touched the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/praise-makes-me-humble-but-when-i-am-abused-i-know-that-i-have/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [I don't poo-pooh anyone's knighthood or other honors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-don-t-poo-pooh-anyone-s-knighthood-or-other-honors/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Princess Anne is like her father. From her, you'll never hear a complaint of any kind about her upbringing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/princess-anne-is-like-her-father-from-her-you-ll-never-hear-a/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [In the Members' Dining Room, the Conservatives eat at one end, the Labour Party at the other, while the Liberals wait at table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/in-the-members-dining-room-the-conservatives-eat-at-one-end-the/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Life has not turned out as I hoped it would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/life-has-not-turned-out-as-i-hoped-it-would/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [“Those who pay their bills on time are soon forgotten. It is only by not paying one's bills that one can hope to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/those-who-pay-their-bills-on-time-are-soon-forgotten-it-is-only-by/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [If you're the Queen you don't need to say anything and you don't get into trouble. If you're the Duke of Edinburgh you say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/if-you-re-the-queen-you-don-t-need-to-say-anything-and-you-don-t-get/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [When it comes to personal communication, words are all we've got. It is the simple use of language that makes us human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/when-it-comes-to-personal-communication-words-are-all-we-ve-got-it-is/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [If God had meant us to go metric, why did he give Christ twelve apostles?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/if-god-had-meant-us-to-go-metric-why-did-he-give-christ-twelve/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [First and foremost, I am a writer. That's what I have spent my life doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/first-and-foremost-i-am-a-writer-that-s-what-i-have-spent-my-life/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [“One should always be suspicious of a woman who tells you that her past was burnt in the flames of a schoolhouse in Peshawar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/one-should-always-be-suspicious-of-a-woman-who-tells-you-that-her/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Among the upper classes, especially three or four generations ago, men and women had separate bedrooms. That's just the way it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/among-the-upper-classes-especially-three-or-four-generations-ago-men/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [We did marry in secret and it was several years before we even told our parents that we were married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/we-did-marry-in-secret-and-it-was-several-years-before-we-even-told/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [I've learnt that you've got to accept the audience you've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-ve-learnt-that-you-ve-got-to-accept-the-audience-you-ve-got/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [Prince Philip is very contrary. He challenges everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/prince-philip-is-very-contrary-he-challenges-everything/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) [Explore all 114 Gyles Brandreth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. 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