The whole UK shed tears in mourning over the passing of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II. In grief, people still admire the beautiful love story of the two most powerful figures in England.

Prince Philip recently passed away at the age of 99. The Duke of Edinburgh married his fiancee at a very young age, in 1947. At that time, Princess Elizabeth was expected to inherit the throne in the future. hybrid. The world will forever praise the immortal love of this talented and beautiful couple.

Part 1: Childhood love and the road to marriage between Elizabeth and Philip

Young time: Princess Elizabeth and her husband enjoyed their honeymoon in Malta, where her husband Philip was stationed with the British Royal Navy (photo source: Getty)

When Princess Elizabeth of York first met Prince Philip, she had no intention of inheriting the throne. At that time, the little princess was only 7 years old and was the bridesmaid for her aunt’s wedding: Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark with the Duke of Kent at Westminster Abbey church. Prince Philip, then only 12 years old, appeared as the bride’s nephew. The two children were simply chatting together, yet the foreign press included Prince Philip in the list of suitable royal husbands for the little princess.

Prince Philip of Greece played baseball in 1939 while a student at Gordonstoun, a boarding school in Scotland. 

However, after that first fateful meeting, it was not until 5 years later, in 1939, that they met again and everything changed. Elizabeth’s uncle, King Edward VIII, had abdicated three years earlier. At that time, Elizabeth’s father became king and thus she became the future heir. Philip grew up to become an 18-year-old naval cadet. And Europe is on the brink of World War II.

Princess Elizabeth with her pony at Windsor Great Park on her 13th birthday, April 21, 1939. (photo source: Getty)

“How high he jumps!”, Elizabeth exclaimed with joy to her governess Marion Crawford in July 1939 when she saw him jump over the tennis net at the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Elizabeth at that time still lived under the protection of her family, spending most of her time with her sister and private tutor. Walking around the school with her parents and younger sister, a star caught her eye, it was the cadet, who would later leave the school to join the army. Everyone noticed Elizabeth’s special concern for Philip, especially Dickie Mountbatten, who Philip’s uncle hoped to marry to consolidate his power behind the throne.

The royal family arrived at the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth in 1939. From left to right: Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Elizabeth. The young cadet Philip then caught the eye of the little princess through this visit. (photo source: Getty). 

When the royal family boarded the Royal Yacht to leave Dartmouth, all the cadets followed in small boats rowing themselves, until the King directed them back to shore. They all obeyed orders, except Philip. He kept rowing because Elizabeth was watching him through binoculars.

Philip and his family left Greece when he was an infant. His family settled in Paris, but did not integrate with this place. His mother lived as a refugee while his father had a lover. Philip was sent to boarding school and raised at Gordonstoun in Scotland before going to Dartmouth. Not living with his parents, he was very close to his sisters, especially Cecile. Unfortunately, Cecile later died in a plane crash while 8 months pregnant. Other sisters married German officers. This caused the family to split into two sides during the war.

Portrait of Prince Philip taken in December 1946, while serving as a lieutenant in the British Royal Navy (photo source: AP)

During the war, Philip wrote to Elizabeth and visited her for Christmas in 1943. Elizabeth was 17 years old and had grown into a beautiful young woman. Philip found her attractive. Not only is she attractive and intelligent, but she is also bright and realistic, unlike his weak mother.

Princess Elizabeth, now heir to the throne, in the lobby of Buckingham Palace in July 1946. (Photo source: Getty)

When the war ended, Philip picked up Elizabeth with serious intentions and took her out to concerts, restaurants, or dinner with Princess Margaret. The palace remains vague about the couple. The King and Queen wanted her to see more of the world before they got married, and the courtiers still talked about how Philip was not a gentleman, had a weak personality, and could be fickle. When signing the visitor book, he wrote “unfixed residence”. People don’t trust his scheming uncle Dickie Mountbatten. The government was obsessed with his family’s situation: as one courtier said: “It can only be summed up in one word, ‘German'”.

Elizabeth and Philip walked down the aisle on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey church on November 20, 1947. (Photo source: Getty)

However, Elizabeth remained unmoved. She had been determined to choose him since she was a 13-year-old girl, and the war only made their feelings even more romantic. The king decided to support her and then the engagement was announced on July 8, 1947. The wedding is scheduled for November 20. Philip became a familiar topic in everyday English stories. Philip took the surname Mountbatten from his biological grandparents and became Duke of Edinburgh.

Wedding portrait of the royal couple

There are fears that a country deep in post-war recession may have a dim view of a lavish wedding. But British Prime Minister Winston Churchill chose to hold a solemn wedding, saying it would “bring bright color on the difficult road we have to go through”. Royal guests came from all over the world to watch a princess get married in a silk wedding dress studded with 10,000 pearls. Of course, the guests certainly did not include Prince Philip’s three sisters and their German husbands. The wedding also lacked the Duke of Windsor, former King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson.

On that momentous day at Westminster Abbey, Princess Elizabeth made her wedding vows and promised to obey her husband. This is something that would seem impossible if she were Queen.