Queen Elizabeth, who was Princess Elizabeth back in 1939, met 18-year-old Philip, and knew she was in love.
They say time heals all wounds, but in reality, it only numbs the pain. The grief of losing someone you've spent your entire life with is a lot, and for months, Queen Elizabeth silently coped with the loss of her beloved husband, Prince Philip. He died on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99, and for the first time since the Queen has spoken about him, reports PEOPLE.
The 95-year-old monarch spoke about the love she and her late husband shared for Scotland at the opening ceremony for the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament on October 2, 2021. "I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here," the Queen said in her speech. "It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times."
Also in attendance at the event were Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, who is known as the Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth II's love story with Prince Philp began when she was just a child. According to PEOPLE, the Queen first met her husband in 1934. Five years later, in 1939, they met for the third time, during a visit to the Dartmouth naval college with her parents and sister, Princess Margaret. Elizabeth, then 13 years old, knew she was deeply in love with 18-year-old Philip.
"She fell in love, and she never looked at anyone else," biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE.
The couple crossed several hurdles together, and eventually married on November 20, 1947. For four years after their wedding, with Elizabeth's father still reigning as King George VI, the two enjoyed marital bliss, but the unexpected passing of Elizabeth's father elevated her to Queen. Elizabeth was just 25 years old at the time, and already mother to 3-year-old Prince Charles and 1-year-old Princess Anne.
Unfortunately, while Princess Elizabeth became the Queen, Prince Charles had to give up on his naval career so he could delve into the relatively uncharted waters of his new role as the consort of the British monarch. "Prince Philip took on the unlikely role of champion to his wife, and became both mother and father to their children, allowing the queen to deal with the requirements of her position," according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, cited by The Washington Post.
With time, people grow apart, but the two of them only grew stronger and stronger with each passing year, which is probably the secret behind their 74-year long marriage. "Even after seven decades," Seward wrote, "the Queen’s face lights up when Philip enters a room."
References:
https://people.com/royals/queen-elizabeth-prince-philip-love-story-told-by-royal-family-members/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/04/09/love-story-philip-elizabeth/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Sean Gallup
