'Legacy film' shows Philip in his true colours at last

The two-part special called The Duke, which took 18 months to make, is significant because 88-year-old Philip, who has a heart condition and was recently hospitalised with a chest infection, has never before allowed the cameras to concentrate on him alone.

It includes an interview with Sir Trevor McDonald, unique footage taken by the Duke in the 1950s on the Royal Yacht Britannia and scenes of him barbequeing at Balmoral and charming Carla Sarkozy.

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But while Buckingham Palace insists the Duke did not have final editorial control, a condition of filming was that he reserved the right to "advise on factual matters."

The cautious approach follows last year's row with the BBC over footage misleadingly edited to imply that the Queen had stormed out of a photo shoot. But the palace was said by ITV to be "very happy" after seeing a rough cut of The Duke and did not request alterations.

A Royal insider said: "Philip very much sees this as a legacy work. He was keen to have something to counteract his image, which is often unfairly negative. The project went to ITV as the Royal Family's relationship with the BBC has been deteriorating for some time and last year's row caused an enormous loss of good will."

Producer Kim Turberville and director Sebastian Duthy also made The Prince of Wales: Up Close for ITV two years ago. Ms Turberville said: "Philip got tired of people saying things about him that were not true and felt it was time he set the record straight. The theme is that he is a moderniser.

"He shows us the things that drive his life – issues such as ecology, conservation, over-population, wildlife and the future of young people.

"But because he does not like talking to camera or talking about himself, it was also one of the most difficult films I have ever made."

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Philip and friend Lady Romsey at the Windsor Horse Show yesterday

Mr Duthy added: "He's difficult but not cantankerous. He gave his tacit approval for us to film him but he doesn't like being filmed. He doesn't look at the camera or make eye contact but he knows you are there."

There are scenes of Philip meeting troops. Revealed, too, is the Duke's artistic side. There are images of an oil painting by him of the Queen eating breakfast.

And his portraitist Jonathan Yeo, son of MP Tim Yeo, said his ideas about Philip had been "turned upside down." Mr Yeo said: "He was constantly asking me about what colours I was using and how I mixed the paints. He is very knowledgeable about art and brought his own pictures to show me."

At the time he married in 1947, Philip was hit by a controversy over alleged family links to the Nazis. But the film reveals Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was last year posthumously awarded Israel's highest medal, for hiding a Jewish family in Nazi-occupied Athens.

Ms Turberville said: "Unknown to the rest of the world, the Duke went to Israel to collect the award on her behalf."

The Duke, ITV1, 9pm tomorrow and the same time on Tuesday