Prince Philip was rumored to be romantically linked to women outside of his marriage to Queen Elizabeth over the many decades the couple was married. As such, it was not surprising when the Duke of Edinburgh befriended Penny Knatchbull that the tabloids had a field day with the relationship that existed between the two, a relationship that was extremely close but platonic in nature. A fact that many found hard to believe, true as it was.Becoming part of the inner circle of British royalty is not an easy feat. Regardless of celebrity or connections to royalty. This is because of the need to be careful not to invite scandal into their lives. Something that unfortunately has not been escaped as long as there has been a British crown. But those who were deemed worthy to not only associate but to be loyal to the secrets of the royal family were trusted friends for a lifetime. Friends were few and far between for senior royals, which is why those friendships that existed were protected so fiercely. So who is Penny Knatchbull, the late Prince Philip's closest confidante?

Who Is Penny Knatchbull?

Penny Knatchbull was not born a royal. It was not until she married that her connection with the royal family began.

In October 1979, Penny married Norton Knatchbull. Norton was the grandson of the former Earl Mountbatten, who was killed in an explosion planted by the IRA. Norton was also the godson of Prince Philip.

The Lord and Countess live at Broadlands, a place where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent their honeymoon.

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The couple had three children together. Nicholas, Alexandra, and Leonora. The last of which tragically passed away at the age of five after putting up a hard fight against kidney cancer.

The event sent Penny into a deep state of depression that made it hard to deal with the rigors of everyday life.

How Penny Knatchbull Became Prince Philip's Close Confidante

As Penny was coming to terms with how to move on with her life, Prince Philip reached out to the grieving mother. It was at this time in 1991 that Prince Philip encouraged Penny to take on carriage driving. It was a sport that the Duke of Edinburgh had taken up himself in the early 1970s, becoming competitive in 1973.

Penny eventually did take up carriage riding in 1994. And it was from that point forward until Prince Philip retired from carriage driving that the two shared a mutual love for the sport.

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As a result of spending so much time together with carriage driving, the duo, who was 30 years apart in age, formed a very close friendship. So close that according to Harper's Bazaar, Penny was known as "keeper of secrets" for Prince Philip. Someone that was next to Queen Elizabeth, the most important woman in the Duke's life.

The friendship was so close that of the 30 people invited to Prince Philip's funeral, Penny was one.

Why Rumors Swirled That Prince Philip And Penny Knatchbull Were Having An Affair

For those who watched Season Five of The Crown, there is an insinuation that Prince Philip and Penny have an affair, something that royal insiders say is wholly untrue.

However, in the early days of their relationship, British tabloids tried to run stories alluding to the same.

While there were several women whom the press assumed Prince Philip was having an affair with over the years, there was never any concrete evidence that they occurred. The same is the case when it comes to the relationship between the Duke of Edinburgh and Penny.

Instead, it was maintained by the Duke, those close to him, and even Queen Elizabeth herself, that Penny was nothing other than a close confidante to Prince Philip.

Proof That Penny Knatchbull Was Close With Queen Elizabeth As Well

Though many found it hard to believe that Prince Philip and Penny could be other than extremely close friends, Penny was close with Queen Elizabeth as well. Something that has been well-documented over the years.

While Prince Philip and Penny enjoyed a bond over carriage driving, the Countess and the Queen shared a love of horses. So much so, according to Harper's Bazaar, that the two were constantly seen sitting together, having a fun time at different horse shows, including the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

It was an event that the two attended together even after Prince Philip's death, and just months before Queen Elizabeth herself, passed.

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It was said that when the Countess' husband had a four-year-long affair, although Norton was blood family, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth could not "forgive him for what he did to Penny."

And in his absence, Penny was awarded the titles of High Steward of Romsey and patron of Romsey Agricultural and Horse Show Society, a choice made by the Queen herself.

Just like Penny was one of the few to attend Prince Philip's funeral, she was also included in the group who were invited to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.

Showing that while the public may have wanted to believe more fantastical stories about the relationship between Prince Philip and Penny, the two were truly just close, great friends who just happened to be the opposite sex.