Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip: I am the Queen of Great Britain and you are my King

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The queen loves who she should, not who she wants. This historical axiom was denied by Elizabeth II, having lived in a happy marriage with her husband Philip for 74 years. In a marriage that exemplifies family relationships, human dedication and feminine wisdom.

At first sight

Princess Lilibet, as she was called in the circle of her family, from childhood was distinguished by perseverance and iron character. She was madly in love with horses and was an excellent rider. Often the girl declared that she would only marry a horse farmer, because she could not imagine her life without her beloved animals. But later she made a different choice, falling in love with a sailor cadet, which in the eyes of the royal family was little better than a farmer.

They met at a family reception. Few people know that Philip is Elizabeth's fourth cousin. Lilibet was then 13 years old, and Philip - 18. Tall and slender blond, a cadet of the Royal Naval College won the heart of the princess at first sight. And, as it turned out, for life. Philip, Prince of Greece and Denmark, was born on the island of Corfu to a losing royal family.

His grandfather was killed in 1913, his uncle was dethroned, and his father, after losing all his regalia, fled in shame from Greece with his family. Later, Philip's parents broke up. Prince Andrew moved to Monte Carlo, where he continued to squander the remnants of the family fortune, and his ex-wife and children settled in Paris, where she soon lost her mind due to all the hardships that befell the family. After this sad event, Philip was taken by his father, he sent the boy to a closed school and practically forgot about him.

A few years later, Philip independently reached England, where his relatives took him in. The only thing he inherited from his father was a signet ring. Of course, Elizabeth's parents did not think about such a betrothed for their daughter. But the girl did not even want to hear about anyone else. In the early years of the war, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who served in the navy, did not see each other, however, the correspondence did not stop.

A photograph of a loved one has firmly settled on the bedside table of the future queen. Her parents did not lose hope that a more worthy contender would make up the party of their daughter, but the girl was adamant. Soon, Elizabeth's parents began to understand that their daughter had a truly deep feeling for Philip, and shortly before the wedding, King George VI conferred the title of Duke of Edinburgh on the future son-in-law.

Ten years later, Elizabeth, then queen, would consecrate her husband as a prince. Historians of the English royal family say that Elizabeth herself proposed to Philip, as once her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. There are no fortresses in the world that a real woman cannot conquer! As a result, on November 20, 1947, Philip, renouncing his Greek and Danish titles, switching from Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, accepting British citizenship and taking the surname of his maternal grandfather Mountbatten, married Princess Elizabeth.

In the shadow of a crowned wife

The wedding, as traditionally, took place at Westminster Abbey. It was a modest celebration by royal standards. If the whole royal court was present on the side of the bride, then on the side of the groom only the mother, who had long been in a state of prostration, was present. Despite this sad fact, the wedding was bright and very beautiful. The dress for the newlywed was made by the court fashion designer Norman Hartnell, inspired by Sandro Botticelli's painting "Spring".

“I discovered in the museum a painting by Botticelli, which depicted a girl in ivory silk flowing along her body, strewn with jasmine flowers, asparagus and rosebuds. I recreated all this flora with the help of crystal beads and pearls,”he recalled. On Elizabeth's head shone the precious tiara of her mother, and the five-meter veil was carried by two pages. After the wedding, the couple were inseparable and led a social life.

Soon they had children - Charles and Anna. But in February 1952, when the King of England and Elizabeth's father, George VI, died of a blood clot in his heart, Philip became the first to kneel down and take an oath of allegiance to Elizabeth II as queen:.

Philip kept his word, becoming a reliable support for his wife and the best advisor in difficult times. But he turned into the shadow of his queen … In February 1960, the second son of the royal couple, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was born. Elizabeth, as a sign of her devotion to her husband, named the boy in honor of his father Philip Andrew. Philip, after such a turn of events, got rid of the "shadow" complex and began to engage in charity work.

The focus of his attention was on education, youth and sports. In public life, Philip always remained one step behind his wife, but in the family he still achieved the right to the first vote. Sometimes, like many women, the queen is pleased to feel weak and defenseless, and her husband gives her this opportunity.

Grandpa is a rock

On the occasion of the Queen's 90th birthday, a wonderful film was made about the royal couple. Elizabeth and Philip consider family a priority in life. According to the children and grandchildren, the secret of the queen's family happiness lies in an important decision that she made in her time: if she, as a monarch, leads the country, then the family will be unconditionally headed by Philip. In all important family achievements, the final word is for the Duke of Edinburgh.

On this occasion, the granddaughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Princess Eugenie of York, said: "Grandpa is incredible. He is strong and reliable. He was and remains a rock for all of us." Today, the Queen spends a lot of time at her estate, training horses and dogs. In the evenings, she walks arm in arm with her beloved husband, and does not like when they break their privacy with Philip. Time puts everything in its place, and then you understand that the reward of life is not at all in the crown, but in the quiet female happiness of being loved …

BONUS

30 photographs from the archives of the British royal family, taken by Lord Snowdon - a great opportunity to visit British monarchs.