Correct me if I misheard or misread, but I was under the impression that when Philip was packed off to the UK and to Gordonstoun, he spent a great deal of time with his wonderful grandmother VMH at Kensington Palace and with the Mountbattens. The "collapse" of his immediate family circle, with the sisters all marrying, his father running of to the South of France and Alice's apparent break down does all make awful reading when one considers Philip was only eleven in 1932. I admire Prince Philip though, as he never seems to blame his childhood for anything...."You just got on with it." None of this "issues" labeling, analysis and finding blame that is so popular today! I suspect that he inherited a great deal of his resilience and strength of character from his extraordinary grandmother. Philip spent quite a bit of time with her throughout the thirties and perhaps some of her indomitable spirit rubbed off on him. Seeing an interview he did to mark his ninetieth birthday earlier this year, one can hardly blame him for being a little irascible when asked what he deems silly, inane questions or being paid compliments he sees as irrelevant and vacuous. I get the impression Philip shares many good traits with VMH and also Louise of Sweden, who was famously unstuffy and down to earth.
Yes, he did spend quite a bit of time with his grandmother. However, Beatrice Battenberg didn't really care for him (such a young child) at Kensington Palace. Still, he was often at KP for half-terms from Cheam. George Milford-Haven made up the other large presence and he spent smaller periods of time with various other relations and friends (such as Nona Kerr).
Page 78: "As time passed, he became extremely fond of her [VMH] and he later credited her with having 'the right combination of the rational and the emotional' in her approach to bringing up children. But while Victoria excelled in many aspects of motherhood, showing warmth was not her strongest suit."
