Queen Elizabeth II’s Wedding Anniversary: 3 Little Known Facts About Her Majesty, Prince Philip’s Relationship
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will be celebrating their 73rd wedding anniversary this month, but there are still a lot of things to learn about their union.
On November 20, 1947, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip sealed their vows through their royal wedding at Westminster Abbey. It is the same venue where Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, said their "I dos."
The Buckingham Palace reported that 2,000 guests witnessed the royal wedding in person. Meanwhile, the whole world also did not miss it since it was broadcasted on the radio.
Although they are royals, Queen Elizabeth II saw this period as the most normal time in her life.
The two went on and spent their lives together until Her Majesty gave birth to Prince Charles on November 14, 1948, as well as Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward in the years that followed.
During the Queen's Silver Wedding speech, she expressed her gratitude for being able to marry her first suitor.
"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," she said.
Now, nearly 73 years later, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's relationship remain strong.
Before they mark another milestone in their marriage life, here are three facts you should know about their rollercoaster relationship.
They Met Earlier Than What People Imagined
Most royals met their husbands and wives now when they were matured enough. The case is different for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
The royal couple first met in 1934, and the Queen was only 8 years old back then. Their families attended the nuptials of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent.
The two are actually the great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria. This makes them distant cousins. However, that is not an issue at all since the royal families actually observe intermarriage to maintain alliances among royal lines.
Five years later, they met again at the Royal Naval College. The Queen then began feeling something special toward him after seeing him jump over tennis tents quickly.
Finally, in 1946, they admitted that they fell in love. Prince Philip went on to face King George VI and expressed his genuine intention to get engaged and marry Queen Elizabeth II.
The Secret Message on the Queen's Wedding Ring
In royal author Ingrid Seward's book "Prince Philip: A Portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh," she described what Queen Elizabeth II's wedding ring looks like.
In addition, she revealed that there is a secret message engraved on it.
The Welsh of Gold--the ring--originally came from the people of Wales. The Duke of Edinburgh then visited an engraver to write something inside.
"[The Queen] never takes it off, and inside the ring is an inscription," she revealed.
However, until now, no one knows what it says except for three people: Prince Philip, the Queen, and the engraver.
Prince Philip Reportedly Saw Few Women--Before and After Royal Wedding
Cheating allegations within the British royal family have been a notorious topic over the years. However, neither the Queen nor Prince Philip has ever been involved in infidelity issues, at least that is what the royal watchers think.
Seward wrote another book titled "My Husband and I" in 2019 wherein she recalled the couple's least-known marriage life stories.
According to the royal author, the duke suffered from criticisms through the years. But these allegations seemed to be true after the Town & Country Magazine reported that he had been linked to multiple women, including Pat Kirkwood.
Per the magazine, the Duke of Edinburgh and Kirkwood continued seeing each other after the royal wedding.
In 1948, the public spotted the two in London. During that time, Queen Elizabeth II was already eight months pregnant with Prince Charles.
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