The Princess Royal was the late Duke of Edinburgh’s favourite child, according to the actor who played Prince Philip in 'The Crown'

Tobias Menzies

Tobias Menzies

Tobias Menzies portrayed Philip - who died in April at the age of 99 - in Season Three and Season Four of the hit Netflix drama about the British royal family and the 47-year-old actor has shared with Express.co.uk his opinion as to why Princess Anne was her late father's favourite.

Discussing how the show depicted the difference between the duke's relationships with Prince Charles and that with his only daughter, Tobias said: “Anne and Charles are very different. Anne is tougher, or at least that is the story we are telling. Anne does seem more like a chip off the Philip block and for whatever reason, Philip finds her easier to relate to, communicate with and therefore more able to express his support or love for her. Anne hits some marital problems in this season and you see Philip able to sympathise with her, much more than he is able to with Charles.”

Tobias isn’t the first person to speak about Philip's close bond with his daughter.

Speaking previously to the Daily Mail, Eileen Parker - the wife of Philip's close friend Mike Parker - explained that she believes Philip was so fond of Anne, shared more character traits with Anne, 70, than Charles, 72, who is far more like his mother Queen Elizabeth.

She said:"[Philip] always had more fun with Anne. Charles is more like the Queen, while Anne is very like Prince Philip."

Philip and Queen Elizabeth, 95, also have two other children; Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

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