Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip’s Love Story Spanned Decades, And They Even Wrote One Another Letters During World War II
Last week, the British royal family shared the gut-wrenching news that Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of ninety-six.
Her death came just over a year after Prince Philip, her husband of seventy-three years, passed in April of 2021.
And despite the world mourning the loss of the Queen, she and Prince Philip shared a decades-long love story filled with joy and respect that deserves to be celebrated.
The pair met long before they ruled the British monarchy when Philip was an eighteen-year-old cadet at the Britannia Royal Naval College. In 1939, then-Princess Elizabeth was thirteen-years-old and introduced to Philip while touring the grounds.
Their encounter, although short, was undoubtedly love at first sight– because the pair went on to pen each other letters during World War II.
“To have been spared in the war and seen victory, to have been given the chance to rest and to readjust myself, to have fallen in love completely and unreservedly makes all one’s personal and even the world’s troubles seem small and petty,” Philip reportedly wrote in one letter dated 1946.
Then, later that same year, Princess Elizabeth and Philip’s love story bloomed. After he returned from the Pacific theater, it is believed that he proposed to Princess Elizabeth at the Balmoral in June.
However, Princess Elizabeth did encounter some pushback in regard to her choice of mate. Apparently, many believed Philip to be too unpolished or gruff.
Cecil Beaton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; pictured above are Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at her coronation
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Nonetheless, the Princess did not care– and the pair’s wedding was formally announced in July of 1947.
And that November, Princess Elizabeth and Philip got married at Westminster Abbey in front of a crowd of two thousand people.
“I wonder if Philip knows what he is taking on. One day Lilibet will be queen, and he will be consort. That’s much harder than being a king, but I think he’s the man for the job,” King George VI, Elizabeth’s father, was allegedly heard saying to a guest during the ceremony.
It’s true– the young newlyweds did think that they would have more time before being confronted with the crown. They lived in Malta for a few years following their vows, where Philip was stationed and welcomed two children– Charles and Anne.
However, King George, unfortunately, became sick and died in only 1952. So, just five years into their marriage, the pair became the most famous people in the world.
Queen Elizabeth was coronated in 1953, where Prince Philip reportedly kneeled before her and pledged to always be her “liege man of life and limb.”
And many believe that Prince Philip really lived up to King George VI’s belief that he was the right man for the task. The couple led a seventy-three-year-long marriage that even the Queen herself accredited her own success.
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” Queen Elizabeth said of her husband during their fiftieth wedding anniversary lunch.
So, when Prince Philip sadly passed away on April 9, 2021, the Queen was understandably heartbroken. And according to the late Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service, she showed her late husband one last romantic gesture.
During his Ceremonial Royal Funeral on April 17, Queen Elizabeth placed a special wreath comprised of white roses, white lilies, white freesias, white sweet peas, white wax flowers, and jasmine on top of Prince Philip’s coffin.
The wreath was also accompanied by a handwritten note with the Queen’s last words to her husband.
“In loving memory, Elizabeth,” the message read.
Now, following the Queen’s passing, perhaps she and the Prince are back riding horses together or strolling through the gardens.
Wherever they are now, though, their lasting tale of romance and service will be remembered for centuries to come.
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