Next month, the Queen is set to reach a major milestone in her relationship with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh: the pair will mark their 70th wedding anniversary on 20th November 2017, making them the first ever British royal couple to celebrate a platinum anniversary.
While their diamond wedding anniversary of 2007 was commemorated with a special service at Westminster Abbey (where the then-Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten were married in 1947), proceedings will be more low key this time around. The Queen, 91, and her husband, 96, are set to celebrate the happy event privately with close family and friends, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.
The Queen will enjoy a rare day off with her husband, who officially retired from royal events this autumn, with no public engagements scheduled on the date of her special anniversary.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the couple will invite their nearest and dearest to a special dinner at Windsor Castle. ‘They feel they can’t top the golden and diamond wedding anniversaries and don’t particularly want to,’ a source told the paper.
‘They also don’t want to be reminded of the many missing faces, as over the past 12 months the Queen has lost two life-long friends, Elizabeth Longman and her cousin Margaret Rhodes, as well as Prince Philip’s cousin Countess Mountbatten.’
The Royal Mint has released a range of commemorative £5 and £20 coins to mark the anniversary. One side bears a portrait of the Queen with Prince Philip, the other shows the couple on horseback. Around the edge are the words ‘wedded love has joined them in happiness 1947 – 2017.’
The Queen met Philip when she was just 13, and struck up a long correspondence with the naval officer. He proposed in 1946 during a walk around the grounds at Balmoral, the royal residence in Scotland; the pair’s eventual wedding was marked by national celebration, while the Westminster Abbey ceremony was attended by 2,000 guests.
27 Vintage Photos To Celebrate Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip's Platinum Wedding Anniversary
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip - Grazia
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Waving from Buckingham Palace, July 1947
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The couple officially announce their engagement at Buckingham Palace, July 1947
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After the engagement announcement, November 1947
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Elizabeth and Philip after announcing their engagement, July 1947
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Princess Elizabeth poses with her family and fiancé ahead of her marriage, 1947
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Photographed at Buckingham Palace shortly before their wedding, 1947
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Arriving at the Royal Variety Performance, November 1947
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Arriving at the Armistice Day service, November 1947
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The couple were married at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947
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Posing for official photos at the Palace after their wedding, November 1947
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Waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the wedding, November 1947
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Honeymooning at Broadlands House, home to Philip's Uncle, November 1947
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Playing with a corgi while on honeymoon, November 1947
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Admiring wedding photos while honeymooning, November 1947
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Enjoying a walk on their honeymoon at Broadlands House in Hampshire, November 1947
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Arriving in Malta (where Philip was stationed with the Royal Navy) for the second part of their honeymoon, 1947
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Attending a charity ball at the Dorchester Hotel, 1948
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On board the 'Pamir,' March 1948
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Prince Philip receives the Freedom of the City of London, 1948
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Visiting the Arc de Triomphe, May 1948
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Attending the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, May 1949
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Arriving at the wedding of the Earl of Harewood and Marion Stein, 1949
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Posing with newborn Charles, July 1949
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After Princess Anne's christening, 1950
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Walking in the grounds of Clarence House, August 1951
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A family portrait session with the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Clarence House, 1951
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A photoshoot with the family, August 1951
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Visiting the Festival of Britain, 1951
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Royal tour of Quebec, 1951
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Enjoying a barn dance in Ottowa, 1951
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Photographed outside Balmoral, September 1952
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A candid shot with Princess Anne and Prince Charles, 1951
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Photographed with the children at Balmoral, September 1952
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Leaving Westminster Abbey in an ornate carriage following Elizabeth's coronation, June 1953
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Waving to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Elizabeth's coronation, June 1953
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Elizabeth poses for official photos with Philip following her coronation
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Visiting Northern Ireland on the Coronation Tour, 1953
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Photographing the arrival of an escort ship while en route to Fiji during the Coronation Tour, 1953
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Visiting Bermuda, November 1953
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Overseeing the children and two ponies in the grounds of Balmoral, August 1955
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Playing with corgis in the grounds of Balmoral, August 1955
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A trip to Nigeria, 1956
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Posing for photographs at Buckingham Palace, December 1958
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Posing for photographs at Buckingham Palace, December 1958
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The Queen and Prince Philip with corgis at Windsor Castle, 1959
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John and Jackie Kennedy visit Buckingham Palace, 1960
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John and Jackie Kennedy visit Buckingham Palace, 1960
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Leaving Manchester by train, May 1961
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Presenting Bobby Moore with the World Cup trophy, 1966
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Flying back from Yorkshire, filmed for a BBC and ITV documentary
READ MORE: Why Was The Queen Warned Not To Marry Prince Philip?