For a whole generation of Americans, Prince Philip was a blank slate. “People had the feeling that he was this older gentleman next to Elizabeth, but they really had no specific sense of who he is and who he was,” said Arianne Chernock, an associate professor of history at Boston University.
But it certainly also helps foster interest in the royal family among young Americans is “The Crown.”
“99 and out, but what an entry. And what a style. Thank you for your old service, it won’t be the same without you,” the Emmy-nominated actor said.
“The Crown” highlights the difficult adjustments the young couple had to face when Elizabeth became queen before their marriage of what was expected. It also shows how, in an age full of masculinity and sexism, he was proving the need for Philip to line up behind his wife.
“The role of the prince consort is really challenging and those who have taken on this role have had very few precedents to study and have very little sense of the specific job description towards the position,” Chernock said.
And, although through modern eyes, many Americans have now lived through Prince Philip thanks to “The Crown.”
Mary McClelland, a fan of the show who lives in Chicago, said her opinion of the queen’s husband was neutral before watching the Netflix series.
“I don’t think he’s the best father in the world. I think he did the best he could at the time and in the society he lived in and the generation he’s in,” McClelland told CNN before of Philip’s death. . “But I don’t necessarily blame him for who he is.”
While many Americans may not have a firm impression of Prince Philip, his reputation in Britain evolved over the decades.
“He actually has a pretty impetuous personality. And in Britain, he’s certainly known for several kinds of missteps,” Chernock said in a CNN interview also conducted before Philip’s death. “So his sense of humor and his fun can sometimes get him in trouble.”
“I think the show went a long way to humanizing it, to show the man behind the crown,” said Debra Birnbaum, a former executive editor of Variety, before Philip’s death. “There’s a more bleak perspective of who the boy is … for better or for worse.”
Tobias Menzies, who played an older Philip in later seasons of the show, quoted Shakespeare when he paid homage to the late royal.
For some avid fans, each episode of “The Crown” has led to an internet trip to learn more about the people involved, including Prince Philip.
“It made me research more about him and all aspects of the program,” said McClelland, director of nonprofit communications. “The intensity and madness of his upbringing was, to me, fascinating. I mean, if I were a modern man, I’d like to ‘get into therapy right away.’
But, he added, “You know, current family members seem to worship and love him. And so whatever the dynamic, his grandchildren, every time they talk about him and in articles, it’s which is a legend “.
Birnbaum said Peter Morgan, the show’s creator and writer, had worked hard to keep “The Crown” based on reality.
“You’ll never know what two people said in a private conversation, but you will know the facts,” Birnbaum said. “The conversation may have been imagined, however [Prince Philip] he lost his favorite sister in a plane crash and then became a pilot. That speaks to a very interesting type of human being. ”
Prince Philip also played an important role in the modernization of the monarchy, which was highlighted in the series. “His commitment to technology, in advocating, for example, filming the family or trying to upgrade systems at Buckingham Palace,” was part of that, Chernock said. “And it’s definitely a sounding board for Elizabeth and she continued on her way.”
In fact, after all their years together, Elizabeth’s success may be due in some way to the man she married. The man so many Americans knew so little before “The Crown.”
“Why is Elizabeth successful? She’s successful because she’s really been firm,” Chernock said. “I think Philip has a lot to do with that.”
CNN’s Eoin McSweeney contributed to this report.