Who Is Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Of Mountbatten & Why Was She Invited To Prince Philip's Funeral?

who is penelope knatchbull nd countess of mountbatten tro
Source: MEGA

Prince Philip watches the Driving Grand Prix from a car driven by his friend Penelope Knatchbull during the Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 11, 2019

Apr. 16 2021, Published 12:25 p.m. ET

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Prince Philip will be laid to rest at St. George's Chapel on April 17, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, just 30 people will be in attendance. And though most people recognized the list of names announced by Buckingham Palace, there were a few that stuck out, such as Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma.

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Knatchbull is a close confidante of Philip's and also a distant relative, as she's married to the grandson of Philip's late uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten.

According to Tatler, the Duke of Edinburgh and Knatchbull struck up a friendship around 1994, when he began teaching her how to drive a carriage.

The two have been good friends ever since, and Knatchbull also grew close to Philip's wife, Queen Elizabeth II.

PRINCE PHILIP'S FUNERAL WILL TAKE PLACE AT WINDSOR CASTLE — SEE PHOTOS OF THE REHEARSALS FOR THE UPCOMING EVENT

The trio's bond grew even stronger when the mother-of-three's husband, Norton Knatchbull, allegedly had an affair, reported the Daily Express.

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Source: The Royal Family/Instagram

The U.K. newspaper shared that "Penelope was often seen in public riding alongside the Duke and saw the Queen regularly in private," adding that "she was a regular guest at the weekend house parties Philip held at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate," where he lived after he retired.

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In addition to Knatchbull, all of Philip and Elizabeth's four children — Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne — will be at the funeral, as will their spouses.

The Duke's eight grandchildren —  Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn — are also set to attend, with some of their spouses receiving invites.

Source: The Royal Family/Instagram
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Buckingham Palace revealed it was "difficult" for the matriarch to make the short guest list, since the ceremony is "a family funeral and at its heart it is still a family event."

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