Queen Elizabeth IIandPrince Philiphad one of the most enduring royal romances of all time.
“She fell in love at age 18 and she never looked at anyone else,” Sally Bedell Smith, author ofElizabeth the Queen,told PEOPLE.
As depicted on Netflix’s smashThe Crown, Elizabeth fought to marry Philip against some opposition from others in The Firm.
“Some were very concerned. The line was slightly tenuous at that point,” the late Sir Edward Ford, who previously served as an assistant royal secretary, told PEOPLE. “So, it was only natural that the older generation — friends of the King like Lord Salisbury — were concerned that who the Queen was with was totally and utterly suitable. So they were sniffing around to see what he was like.”
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth.Countess of Wessex
Perhaps part of what attracted the Queen to Philip was that he didn’t try too hard to impress others, Ford noted.
“He was a perfectly natural young sailor and very much in love with the girl of the house,” Ford said. “But he would not in any way fawn on the elders and say, ‘What a suitable husband I am going to be.’ He was very much his own man.”
The couple were married for 73 years untilPhilip’s deathin April 2021 at 99 years old.Queen Elizabeth diedat age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, and remained devoted to her husband’s memory until the very end.
Look back at their love story that began when they were teenagers and lasted the rest of their lives.
1934: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip meet for the first time
Then-Princess Elizabeth metPrince Philipin 1934 when he was 13 years old and she was just 8 years old. The run-in happened at a wedding.
July 1939: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip meet again — and she falls in love
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Five years after their first meeting, a 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth andPrince Philip, then 18,met againwithKing George VI, the Queen Mother andPrincess Margaretat Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon. Elizabethwould later saythat this was when she fell in love with Philip, and the pair began exchanging letters regularly. Shereportedly"never had eyes for anyone else" from that moment forward.
October 1946: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spark romance rumors
RELATED VIDEO:The Romantic Moment Between a YoungQueen ElizabethandPrince Philipthat Sparked Rumors of Their Love
Though Elizabeth was long smitten with Philip privately, it wasn’t until the October 1946 wedding of their mutual cousin, Lady Patricia Mountbatten, that tongues began to wag publicly about a potential romance between them. Elizabeth and Philip each served as members of the bridal party, and aphotographer snapped a picture of the pair locking eyes.
July 9, 1947: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip announce their engagement
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Philipreportedlyasked King George VI for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage in the summer of 1946. The couple delayed their making their betrothal public until after the princess turned 21 years old.
Philip and Elizabeth announced their engagement on July 9, 1947.
July 1947:Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philipcut a rug together
The same month that they announced their engagement, Philip and Elizabeth also shared their first dance at a public event. The pair werephotographedwaltzing at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, Scotland.
October 3, 1947: Prince Philip is baptized in the Church of England
Philip renounced his Danish and Greek royal titles ahead of his marriage to Elizabeth, and there was another step he had to take before their wedding: becoming a member of the Church of England.The New York Timesreported that Philip had been baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Archbishop of Canterbury fully received Philip, who regarded himself as an Anglican for years, into the Church of England on Oct. 3, 1947.
November 20, 1947: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip wed
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Princess Elizabeth andPrince Philipmarried on Nov. 20, 1947. The ceremony, held at Westminster Abbey in London, had 2,500 guests. Lady Pamela Hicks, who served as a bridesmaid for the nuptials,later said of the pair, “I can think of very few couples as united as they are.”
November 1947:Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philipenjoy their honeymoon
Relishing in newlywed bliss, Elizabeth and Philip enjoyed a honeymoon at the Broadlands in Hampshire, England, which was the home of Philip’s uncle, Earl Mountbatten. The couplereleased several photoswalking arm-in-arm and beaming at one another.
November 14, 1948: Prince Charles is born
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Elizabeth and Philip welcomed theirfirst childand eventual heir to the throne,Prince Charles, on Nov. 14, 1948. Elizabeth gave birth to thefuture kingin Buckingham Palace in London at 9:14 p.m. local time.
1949: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip move to Malta
Philip’s naval career took the newlyweds to Malta in 1949. Princess Elizabeth and Philip lived in Villa Guardamangia near the capital Valetta until 1951.According toTatler, Elizabeth enjoyed living as a “regular” naval wife during their brief time in the country.
August 15, 1950: Princess Anne is born
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Philip and Elizabeth welcomed their second child and only daughter,Princess Anne, on Aug. 15, 1950. Princess Anne, whose official title was Princess Royal, would go on to become an accomplished equestrian and be the only British royal (so far!) to ever compete in the Olympics.
August 1951:Princess Elizabethand Prince Philip pose with their kids outside their new home
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After moving from Malta back to the United Kingdom, Elizabeth, Philip and their two young children —Prince Charles, then almost 3 years old and one-year-old Princess Anne —enjoyed the groundsoutside of their Clarence House home.
February 6, 1952: Elizabeth becomes Queen
When King George VI died on Feb. 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth, then 25, becameQueen ElizabethII. At the time of King George VI’s death, Elizabeth and Philipwere on a safari trip in Kenya.
Philip’s title did not change, as he was not named King Consort, but he left his military career to support Elizabeth. The new Queen, Philip and their children moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace.
Prince Williamlater saidof Philip leaving his navy days behind him, “One of the things I do really admire him for is the fact that he gave up a very, very successful military career to be the Queen’s consort and support her and go into service and duty in a different way. It was very much a man’s world back then. So for a man to give up his career to support a woman, albeit the Queen, was still quite a big step.”
June 2, 1953: Queen Elizabeth is honored with her coronation ceremony
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Queen ElizabethII wasofficially coronatedat Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, more than a year after she took the throne. After the Archbishop of Canterbury, Philip was the first to kneel in honor of the new monarch, pledging to be her “liegeman” for life. More than 8,000 people attended her coronation, including Prime Minister Winston Churchill and then-4-year-oldPrince Charles.
She said in her coronation speech, “The ceremonies you have seen today are ancient, and some of their origins are veiled in the mists of the past. But their spirit and their meaning shine through the ages never, perhaps, more brightly than now. I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.”
February 1960: Queen Elizabeth announces her descendants' new surnames
Breaking somewhat from royal tradition,Queen Elizabethannounced in early February 1960 — shortly before the birth ofPrince Andrew— that her descendants would have thesurname"Mountbatten-Windsor." The name is a combination of her andPrince Philip’s surnames.
February 19, 1960: Prince Andrew is born
Queen ElizabethandPrince Philipwelcomed their third child and second son, Prince Andrew, on Feb. 19, 1960.
June 5, 1961: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip host President John F. Kennedy and first lady JackieKennedy
Queen ElizabethandPrince Philipheld court with then-President John F. Kennedyand first ladyJackie Kennedyon June 5, 1961. The meeting would later be depicted on Netflix’sThe Crown.
March 10, 1964: Prince Edward is born — and Prince Philip makes history
On March 10, 1964,Queen Elizabethand Philip welcomed their youngest child, Prince Edward — and majorly broke what had previously been royal protocol. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote inMy Husband And I: 70 Years of the Royal Marriagethat Philip was the first royal father to be present for the birth of one of his children and held the Queen’s hand throughout the delivery.
November 20, 1972: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrate their 25th anniversary
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On Nov. 20, 1972,Queen Elizabethmarked her 25th wedding anniversary toPrince Philipwith amemorable speech. “If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage,” shesaid, “I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it.”
November 15, 1977: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip become grandparents for the first time
Prince PhilipandQueen Elizabethbecame first-time grandparentson Nov. 15, 1977, when Princess Anne and her husband, Mark Phillips, welcomed their first child,Peter Mark Andrew Phillips. Princess Anne and Mark declined to give their children royal titles.
November 20, 1997: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip mark 50 years of marriage
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Queen ElizabethandPrince Philipcelebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November 1997. In herspeech celebrating their golden anniversary, the Queen described their relationship as that of a “working couple” and expressed appreciation for Philip’s “constant love and support” during her reign.
“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments,” she said. “But 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.”
June 2002: Queen Elizabeth marks her Golden Jubilee
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Philip stayed close toQueen Elizabethas she celebrated 50 years on the throne during her Golden Jubilee weekend. Festivities began June 1, 2002, and concluded three days later. She said in part during a speech commemorating the occasion, “The Duke of Edinburgh has made an invaluable contribution to my life over these past 50 years.”
November 20, 2007: Queen Elizabeth andPrince Philipcelebrate their diamond anniversary
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth.Tim Graham/Getty Images
Nov. 20, 2007, markedPrince PhilipandQueen Elizabeth’s 60th wedding anniversary. The couple marked the occasion with a ceremony at Westminster Abbey. They’d also visit the Broadlands, where they celebrated their honeymoon, to commemorate the milestone.
August 2, 2017: Prince Philip retires from public life
Prince Philipannounced in May 2017 that he would retire from public life, and heattended his final royal engagementon Aug. 2, 2017.
“The Duke of Edinburgh will no longer undertake his own program of public engagements,” a statement from Buckingham Palace said at the time. “The Captain General’s Parade will bring His Royal Highness’s individual program to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside The Queen, from time to time.”
June 10, 2020: Prince Philip celebrates his 99th birthdaywith Queen Elizabeth
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Queen ElizabethhelpedPrince Philipcelebrate his 99th birthday on June 10, 2020. The couple, whose marriage was the longest royal union ever, posed forphotostogether.
November 20, 2020: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrate their 73rd wedding anniversary
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary on Nov. 20, 2020. In a photo released to honor the event, the couple opened a homemade card from Prince William andKate Middleton’s children,Prince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louis.
April 9, 2021: Prince Philip dies at age 99
Prince Philipdied on April 9, 2021. He was 99 years old. That February, he’d beenhospitalized for 28 daysfor infection and treatment of a pre-existing cardiac condition.
While there was some speculation at the time that the Queen would step down following Philip’s passing, a senior palace aidetold PEOPLEit would never happen.
April 17, 2021: Queen Elizabeth sits alone at Prince Philip’s funeral
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While most of the royal family was in attendance atPrince Philip’s funeralon April 17, 2021, in a heartbreaking display of grief, Queen Elizabethsat alone in her pewduring the services at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabethleft a handwritten noteon Philip’s casket signed with her childhood nickname “Lilibet.”
The Queen’s personal stylist, Angela Kelly, said that after the mass, she witnessed a moving moment with the monarch.
“I helped her off with her coat and hat and no words were spoken,” Kellyrecalled in her bookThe Other Side of the Coin, The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. “The Queen then walked to her sitting room, closed the door behind her, and she was alone with her own thoughts.”
September 21, 2021: Prince Harry says Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth were “adorable” together
In asweet momentfrom the BBC documentaryPrince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers,Prince Harrysaid he missed his grandfather’s sense of humor, adding, “I miss him more for my grandmother because I know how incredibly strong she was with him there. I also know she will be okay without him.”
The Duke of Sussex added, “The two of them together were just the most adorable couple. To me, knowing the cheekiness of him and knowing that behind what the world sees you have two individuals who were very much in love and both, from a very young age, have dedicated their life to service — that is an incredible bond between two people.”
October 2, 2021: Queen Elizabeth speaks about Prince Philip publicly for the first time since his death
In herfirst public speech about Prince Philip following his death, Queen Elizabeth reminisced about the good times they shared together in Scotland.
“I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memoriesPrince Philipand I always held of our time here,” the Queen said during her opening address for Scotland’s Parliament on Oct. 2, 2021. “It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times.”
November 1, 2021: Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to Prince Philip in COP26 speech
In avideo addressto the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference on Nov. 1, 2021,Queen Elizabethurged the world to take action to combat climate change.
“The impact of the environment on human progress was a subject close to the heart of my dear late husband,” she said, seated next to a photo of the late Philip. Recalling one of Philip’s own speeches on the topic, the Queen added, “It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet lives on through the work of our eldest son, Charles, and his eldest son, William. I could not be more proud of them.”
December 25, 2021: Queen Elizabeth honors the late Prince Philip in Christmas address
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Christmas 2021 was thefirst that the Queen had spent apart from Prince Philipsince 1956. In herannual Christmas speech, Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to her late husband of 73 years. Noting that the holidays can be a sad time for some, she said in her address, “But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world. His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation – were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”
She concluded, “But life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings; and as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas.”
February 5, 2022: Queen Elizabeth uses Prince Philip’s cane
Queen Elizabeth carrying her bag and her walking stick.Joe Giddens/POOL/AFP via Getty
Queen Elizabeth canceled several public events in 2022 as her own health began to decline, but the first quarter of the year saw her as vibrant as ever, save for some issues with her mobility. On Feb. 5, 2022, the eve of her Accession Day, Queen Elizabethused Prince Philip’s cane. He had last been seen using this particular walking stick publicly in 2013.
April 9, 2022: Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to Prince Philip on the first anniversary of his death
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.Tim Graham Photo Library
September 8, 2022: Queen Elizabeth dies at age 96
Arrangements were made to bury the Queen at St. George’s Chapel within the walls of Windsor Castle, where she would be laid to rest next toPrince Philip, who previously was temporarily interred in the Royal Vault beneath the chapel, according toThe Telegraph.
September 19, 2022: Queen Elizabeth laid to rest beside Prince Philip
During a private burial at King George VI Memorial Chapel,Queen Elizabeth was laid to restbeside her late husband, Prince Philip. This is also the final resting place of her father, King George VI, her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her sister, Princess Margaret.
source: people.com
