Palace staff apparently have a favorite royal, and it’s probably not who you think

We all play favorites. It’s human nature. And apparently the royal staff is no different: They have a favorite royal, too, and it’s not who you might expect. No, it’s not Meghan or Harry. Not even George, Charlotte, or little Louis.

It’s none other than Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip. According to Matt Smith, who portrayed Philip on Seasons 1 and 2 of Netflix’s The Crown, the Duke of Edinburgh has always been a favorite among palace employees.

"One of the interesting challenges for me was that I felt there was a sort of a misconception and a preconception about him, which reduced him a bit," Smith told Variety. "And actually all the research I did found him to be brilliantly funny, very clever, very popular. In the royal house, he’s the most popular of all of them. If you’ve talked to any of the staff, Philip’s the one they all love really."

Prince Philip is widely known for his blunt remarks, but apparently, he’s much friendlier behind closed doors.

"I think more than a lot of them, he’s a bit more of a man of the people," Smith continued. "The royal protocol hasn’t dogged him in quite the same way his whole life and there’s a sort of rebellion in him and a naughtiness and a cheekiness. I think he’s quite affable and open by all accounts with the staff. They all love him."

Hopefully, we can see more of Philip’s cheekiness when Tobias Menzies plays his fictional counterpart on Season 3 of The Crown, coming to Netflix in 2019.