Theirs was a marriage that stood the test of time and lasted 73 long years: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Now, following the deeply sad news of Her Majesty's death at the age of 96 (almost 18 months to the day of Prince Philip's passing), mourners the world over are taking the opportunity to remind themselves of their happy union, which served as an inspiration for many.
During their marriage, The Queen and Prince Philip welcomed four children (King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward), eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren (with Prince Harry's one-year-old daughter, Lilibet Diana, born a few months after the Duke's death).
Here, we reflect on one of the world's most famous couples and chart their many milestones together:
1934 - The pair meet for the first time
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece (as he was then known) meet at the wedding of his cousin Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Elizabeth’s uncle Prince George, Duke of Kent. Elizabeth is 8 at the time, while Philip is 13.
1939 - Elizabeth and Philip meet again
During a visit to the Royal Naval College with her family, Elizabeth (aged 13) and Philip (age 18) meet again. He is a cadet in training. Philip later told royal biographer Basil Boothroyd, "Well, we'd met at Dartmouth, and as far as I was concerned it was a very amusing experience, going on board the yacht and meeting them, and that sort of thing, and that was that."
They begin exchanging letters.
1946 - Philip asks for Elizabeth's father King George VI’s blessing and proposes
After many years of courtship, Philip asks 20-year-old Elizabeth's father for his blessing for the pair to be married.
After a month-long holiday at Balmoral with her family, Philip proposes with a ring made by London jeweller Philip Antrobus, using diamonds from her mother’s tiara.
July 1946 - The pair announce their engagement
King George VI asks that the pair wait until Elizabeth's 21st birthday to reveal the engagement. On July 9, 1947 the couple shared a portrait to announce the happy news.
The Guardian's Royal reporter writes at the time, "It is clearly a marriage of choice, not of arrangement[...]There have been many royal engagements in the past, but it would be hard to find a precise parallel for that of an Heiress Presumptive and still more for her choice as partner of one who is, technically at least, a British commoner."
Fox Photos//Getty ImagesAnnouncing their engagement at Buckingham Palace
November 1947 - Elizabeth II and Philip get married
Aged 26 and 21 respectively, the pair tied the knot at Westminster Abbey. The king insisted on a smaller wedding while the country recovered from World War II, so only 150 guests attended the ceremony, followed by lunch at Buckingham Palace.
They had a honeymoon at Broadlands, his family’s estate in Hampshire.
Hulton Deutsch//Getty ImagesOn their wedding day
14 November 1948 - Elizabeth gives birth to their first son, Charles
A year on from their nuptials, Prince Charles (later known as King Charles III) is born.
15 August 1950 - Elizabeth gives birth to their first daughter, Anne
Just under two years later, the couple welcome their second child and first daughter, Princess Anne.
1949 - 1951 - The pair live abroad
The pair enjoy a lowkey marriage and life for a few years, spending much of that time in a royal residence in Malta where Philip is stationed in the navy. Biographer Ben Pimlott called this the "most normal [time] of her entire life."
Mirrorpix//Getty ImagesWith Charles and Anne circa 1951
2 June 1953 - Elizabeth is crowned and becomes Queen
Elizabeth's father King George VI’s dies in 1952 and she inherits the throne aged 25. She is 27 at the time of the coronation, when she is crowned Queen Elizabeth II. This allegedly puts strain on her relationship with Philip - not least because it means the children won't take his surname.
Print Collector//Getty ImagesAt Elizabeth’s coronation
19 February 1960 - Andrew is born
Elizabeth and Philip welcome their third child 12 years after their first, and their second son Andrew is born.
10 March 1964 - They become a family of six as Edward is born
Four years later their youngest, Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, is born. Philip made history during their fourth child's birth by being the first royal husband to be present during the delivery of their child.
Keystone//Getty ImagesThe family of six in 1965
November 1972 - The pair celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary
During the silver wedding anniversary celebration at the guildhall, the Queen said, "If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it."
Hulton Archive//Getty ImagesAt their 25th silver wedding anniversary celebrations held at Buckingham Palace, 20th November 1972
November 1997 - The pair celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary
Prince Phillip gives a speech to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, addressing how they have maintained a healthy, happy marriage all these years. "I think the main lesson we have learnt is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient in any happy marriage... You can take it from me, the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance," he famously said.
UK Press//Getty ImagesThe pair attend a Gala Concert to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary on November 11 1997 in London
June 2002 - The Queen uses her golden jubilee speech to praise Philip
To mark 50 years of being Queen, Elizabeth gave a speech in which she shouted out her husband. "I take this opportunity to mention the strength I draw from my own family,” she said. "The Duke of Edinburgh has made an invaluable contribution to my life over these past fifty years, as he has to so many charities and organisations with which he has been involved."
2017 - Philip retires from Royal service
Philip steps down from Royal duties. The New York Times report he has taken part in 22,219 solo engagements and 5,496 speeches, and played the role of Elizabeth's consort for 65 years.
Chris Jackson//Getty ImagesThe pair in 2017
November 2017 - The pair celebrate their 70th (!) wedding anniversary
The Queen and Prince Philip took to Twitter to mark their platinum wedding anniversary, with a post that read, "To mark The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh's 70th Wedding Anniversary, new photographic portraits have been released worldwide."
"The portraits of Her Majesty and The Duke were taken by British photographer Matt Holyoak of Camera Press, in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle earlier this month. (2/3)"
November 2020 - Their 73rd wedding anniversary
"Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes for The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on their 73rd Wedding Anniversary ❤️" their official Instagram account wrote with a throwback photo of the couple. "The Queen and The Duke are pictured here in 1947 on their honeymoon at Broadlands in Hampshire."
9 April 2021 - Prince Philip passes away
In a sad statement from the royal family, it was announced that the Duke and Edinburgh had died peacefully at Windsor Castle. "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," read the official statement.
The Prince has left behind his long and happy marriage to wife, Queen Elizabeth, as well as four children - King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - eight grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
8 September 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II sadly dies
Surrounded by her four children and Prince William, Her Majesty passed away at her beloved Scottish estate, Balmoral. A statement shared by Buckingham Palace said that her passing was peaceful.
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Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
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