Who Is Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten Of Burma?
Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, at age 99. His funeral will be held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 17. Only 30 close family members will attend the funeral due to COVID-19 restrictions, and Queen Elizabeth II reportedly had to make "difficult decisions" about the guest list, according to People. "We are dealing with a family funeral and at its heart it is still a family event," a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, will attend the funeral, and is known as "and also" because no guest list is complete without her, per The Sun. According to Grazia, "Her presence at the funeral among only thirty attendees is exactly what the late Duke would have wanted, and the entire family will be pleased to have her among them on the sombre occasion. Naturally, the situation will mean that they must all keep their distance from each other, but coming together in grief will be hugely beneficial and of great comfort to all."
Keep reading for more details on this member of the royal family.
Penelope Knatchbull was one of Prince Philip's closest confidants
Penelope "Penny" Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is the only daughter of Reginald Eastwood. She is married to Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl of Mountbatten, according to Hello!. The couple have three children, Nicholas, Alexandra, and Leonora. In 1991, Leonora came down with liver cancer and died when she was 5 years old.
The countess grew closer to Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth after the tragedy. Philip and Penelope bonded over their love of the outdoors, and their friendship grew stronger when he introduced her to carriage driving in 1994, per the outlet. They were frequently seen together at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where they rode mini cycles around the carriage driving course, according to The Sun.
Penelope often visited Philip at his Wood Farm cottage in Sandringham when he retired from royal duties in 2017. Their closeness was known to everyone around them, with a source telling Grazia, "Penny and the Duke of Edinburgh shared decades of affection."