Peter Phillips has spoken of being The Queen’s grandson and of the ‘mayhem’ and ‘chaos’ caused in the Royal residences by Her Majesty’s grandchildren and other young relatives.
On ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Peter, 38, was publicising The Patron’s Lunch, the street party that is to be held for The Queen’s 90th birthday, and talked of his childhood and relationship with his grandmother.
Peter Phillips said the Royal grandchildren ’caused mayhem’. (ITV)
Peter is heading the organisation of The Patron’s Lunch, taking place on the Mall in June this year, through Sports and Entertainment Limited, the Australian company of which he is the London director.
He said the idea ‘snowballed’ after speaking with his business partners, and that it was conceived more than two years ago. It was because they wanted to ‘celebrate her patronages’ as patron of over 600 charities and organisations, as these people had ‘never been brought together to celebrate her and what they do in all of our communities’.
In terms of timing they thought ‘it would be good to fit it around her 90th birthday’, Peter Phillips explained.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN – ROYALS ATTEND CHURCH
Prince William, Prince Harry and The Duke of Edinburgh will also be taking seats at the picnic tables, with the brothers being named as joint presidents of the event.
Speaking about having Elizabeth II as his grandmother and being part of the Royal Family he said: “I guess it’s a little strange but if you’re growing up with that sort of thing, there’s never really that moment when you go, “Oh wow”.”
“We had great fun growing up on our holidays, going to stay with her at Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor and we were incredibly lucky to be able to share a lot of our childhood time with her,” he said.
Princess Anne’s son is one of the close members of family invited to Sandringham at Christmas, along with all Her Majesty’s children and grandchildren, now totalling 23 after the arrival of Princess Charlotte.
How the big screens in London’s parks will look (Patron’s Lunch)
Cousins and their offspring (The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, for example) are not invited for space – there are not enough rooms at Sandringham House to accommodate them all.
Speaking about growing up in palaces with his cousins, Peter said: “We had a lot of fun and there was a lot of space for kids to run around in and it wasn’t just us, it was the Wales’ [William and Harry], Freddie and Ella Windsor and the Gloucesters.”
BALMORAL & BIRKHALL – WHERE THE ROYALS SPEND SUMMER
“So there was quite a gang of us growing up in that age and it was a lot of fun. We caused quite a bit of mayhem and chaos but fortunately I don’t think we broke too much,” he grinned.
Peter was also asked what he calls The Queen by host Kate Garraway: “Well, what do you call your grandmother?” he responded.
“Grandma, granny…” she replied and the father-of-two simply said: “There you go.”
He also had praises to sing of Her Majesty: “‘She’s such an inspiration, not only to the country but to us as a family.”
“You know, her work ethic and her dedication is something that I think the whole family has always inspired to, at least get somewhere near.”
In the interview, he went on to speak of the formal channels that were followed to arrange the party.
“I was very conscious to make sure we did this properly, so we went through the normal channels of approaching the Palace. We had to show that this wasn’t a case of trying to cut corners because The Queen happens to be my grandmother.”
Recalling the conversation he had with his grandmother about the party, he said: “I said, “Oh, by the way you may or may not have heard that we are having conversations with your office about this”….She said “I’ve heard you’re up to something”.”
FAIRY DUST, SAPPHIRES & SALT – GIFTS TO THE ROYAL FAMILY IN 2015
The Patron’s Lunch will take place on Sunday 12th June, the day after Trooping the Colour, the official celebration of Her Majesty’s birthday, which is in fact on 21st April. A service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral will also celebrate The Queen’s 90th birthday that weekend.
Carnival style entertainment will accompany the lunch, which members of the Royal Family will also attend, and big screens will be erected in St James’s Park and Green Park for those not lucky enough to be attending.
Next month, 1000 tickets will be released in a public ballot and will be sold at a cost of £150 each, with profits going to support the organisations The Queen patronises.
