Almost three quarters of a century ago, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married. A marriage that lasted a long time.
“It was simply my strength and support over the years.” This is how Queen Elizabeth II describes her husband, Prince Philip, on their golden wedding anniversary in 1997. On November 20, the couple will celebrate their 73rd wedding anniversary.
Elizabeth fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, five years her senior at the age of 13. When he asked for her hand in 1946, her father, King George VI, was not thrilled.
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Legend:
Young love
Elizabeth meets Prince Philip at the wedding of her uncle and Navy of Greece and Denmark. The latter is the cousin of Philips. Elizabeth was eight at the time. Five years later they meet again at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and become pen pals until Philip, in 1946, offers the hand of the Crown Princess.
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Legend:
No kisses
In 1947 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh married. Marriage does not end with a kiss from the bride and groom. This becomes a tradition only in 1981 with the kiss of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
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Legend:
A piece of normality
After their marriage and before Elizabeth became queen, the young couple lived in Malta for two years. Prince Philip was stationed there with the Royal Navy. It was the only time that today’s queen was allowed to lead an almost civilized life.
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Legend:
Windsor or Mountbatten?
In 1960 Queen Elizabeth campaigned for her children to bear the surname “Mountbatten-Windsor” in the future. Years earlier, Prince Philip expressed a wish that his descendants also bear his surname.
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Legend:
From German to English
The family name of Prince Philips “Mountbatten” is the English form of “von Battenberg”. In 1917 the name was changed. In the same year the surname of the British royal family was also changed. Before that, the family was called “Saxe-Coburg und Gotha”. During World War I, the German sounding name was changed to “Windsor”.
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Legend:
Married to His Majesty
Prince Philip is at her side throughout the queen’s reign. He is the first to swear allegiance to her at her coronation in 1953. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, said in an interview that it is extraordinary to have a man who supports the queen in public and behind closed doors.
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Legend:
Relaxation comes with age
In 2012, Prince Philip officially retired. Since then, the queen has had to attend public events alone. But sometimes her husband accompanies her anyway. During the rare appearances together, the two seem increasingly relaxed in recent years. So they often hold hands or even kiss on the cheek.
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Prince Philip was born in Greece and is a Dane with ties to Germany, which was not welcome in postwar England. Determined to marry the princess, he renounces all his previous titles and takes the surname Mountbatten from his maternal grandparents.
On November 20, 1947, the two married in Westminster Abbey in London. King George appoints Philip Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich that same evening.
