Philip not only had his career to consider but, as we have seen, he tried to maintain something of a bachelor lifestyle as well, yet he could not escape his royal duties either. Naturally irascible, the demands of fatherhood served only to heighten his irritation and he had little time to devote to his son as he struggled to find a role for himself in these frustrating circumstances. Nor did he show any inclination to be a hands-on, nappy-changing kind of father. Charles, as everyone noted, was an ‘exceptionally sweet-natured little boy’ who was always thoughtful of others and the world around him. George VI, in his dying days, remarked: ‘Charles is too sweet, stumping around the room.’

He was neither aggressive nor sporting, however. His little sister soon came to dominate him physically. Nor was he mechanically minded like his father. He suffered from knock knees like both his grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V. He had flat feet and had to wear a special pair of orthopaedic shoes. He was prone to chest complaints and suffered from a constant succession of coughs and throat ailments.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these things did not overly impress his father. ‘A resilient character such as Philip, toughened by the slings and arrows of life, who sees being tough as a necessity for survival, wants to toughen up his son – and his son is very sensitive,’ Countess Mountbatten observed. ‘It hasn’t been easy for either of them.’

Philip believed in corporal punishment and Charles was summarily spanked if he was rude or obstreperous, a discipline that was quite normal at the time. Philip usually left the administration of such discipline to the nannies. His remarks, however, could be more wounding.

‘He could be incredibly cutting, not only to his children, but to other people,’ Mrs Parker recalled. ‘He always had to fight for himself from the very beginning. The Queen adored him but she didn’t rough it. He did rough it and I’ve heard him say some awful remarks.’ According to her, Nanny Lightbody also had her reservations: ‘She never said she didn’t like him but I don’t think she saw eye to eye with him one bit.’

‘He just can’t resist coming out with these personal remarks,’ said Lady Kennard, a childhood friend of both the Queen and Prince Philip. ‘He’s at his worst with Charles, but he could be quite sarcastic with Anne, too.’