Prince Phillip And The Queen’s Love Story: ‘Flirting’, Laughter And ‘A Constant Strength’

Buckingham Palace have announced that Her Majesty the Queen has died 'peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.' As tributes flood in for the longest reigning monarch in British history, many of the interviews and tributes being paid have one similar theme - the love story between Prince Phillip and the Queen.

The couple were married for 73 years and spoke regularly of each other and their love in public. Here, we take a look back at Prince Phillip and the Queen's long marriage...

How did Prince Philip and the Queen meet?

Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth first met when she was a Princess in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, the Duke of Kent. Philip was 18, they struck up a correspondence through letters, and according to Elizabeth’s cousin and close friend Margaret Rhodes, the then-Princess was steadfast in her affections, having ‘never looked at anyone else.’

After announcing their engagement on 9th July 1947, the pair were wed at Westminster Abbey on 20th November, in a ceremony that was broadcast to around 200 million people around the world. The then-Princess Elizabeth wore a dress by court couturier Norman Hartnell (paid for – like any other bride – using the ration coupons that were still in use in the aftermath of World War II). Like her future granddaughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, she did her own make-up for the occasion.

Were Prince Philip and the Queen related?

Yes. They were third-cousins - they share a great-grandmother in Queen Victoria. Philip was a direct descendant of Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria's oldest son, who became King Edward VII. That said, they did not grow up in close proximity to each other.

Prince Phillip's adorable nickname for The Queen

Prince Phillip had a nickname for HRH, reportedly, 'cabbage'. Biographer Robert Lacey told The Sunday Times in 2006: 'Yes, I've heard that is how he will sometimes refer to her.'

It's been speculated that the nickname might have originated with the French phrase 'mon petit chou,' which translates to 'my little cabbage,' but also 'my little pastry puff'.

The Crown creator Peter Morgan said: 'I inquired in royal circles and was told on very good authority that that is what the Duke sometimes calls the Queen.'

Prince Phillip and The Queen's best quotes about each other

The couple were long regarded as a vital support for one another.

In a speech to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary back in 1997, the Queen famously referred to Prince Phillip as her ‘strength and stay’ all these years. Fifteen years later, addressing Parliament on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, she returned to the same sentiment. ‘During these years as your Queen, the support of my family has, across the generations, been beyond measure,’ she said. ‘Prince Philip is, I believe, well known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout [my reign] he has been a constant strength and guide.’

Looking at 70 years of marriage in her Christmas speech in 2017, the Queen said: 'Reflecting on these events makes me grateful for the blessings of home and family, and in particular for 70 years of marriage. I don't know that anyone had invented the term platinum for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren't expected to be around that long. Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little – having, as he economically put it, 'done his bit'. But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever, as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year.'

During a toast to the Queen at a lunch celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, in November 1997, Prince Phillip said of The Queen: '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.'

How many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren do The Queen and Prince Philip have?

Four children, eight grandchildren - Mark Phillips, Zara Tindall, William and Harry, Eugenie and Beatrice and Edward's children Louise and James - and ten great-grandchildren.

Prince Harry, Prince William and Princess Eugenie on The Queen and Prince Phillip

Their grand-daughter Princess Eugenie has said: 'Together, they are invincible.'

Prince William said in 2012: 'He makes her laugh because some of the things he says and does and the way he looks at life is obviously slightly different than her, so together they’re a great couple.’

And Prince Harry has said: 'Regardless of whether my grandfather seems to be doing his own thing, sort of wandering off like a fish down the river, the fact that he’s there – personally, I don’t think that she could do it without him, especially when they’re both at this age.'

Carol Vorderman, in paying tribute to Prince Phillip, also shared an anecdote about meeting the couple, and said: 'I went for a private lunch with The Queen at Buckingham Palace quite a few years ago. They were both in their 80s and Prince Philip and she were flirting with each other madly and laughing. Theirs was a love and a marriage of more than 73 years.'

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