Elizabeth and Philip, a Royal Romance; a Platinum Jubilee Tribute

As the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee approaches, we look back at the Royal marriage and to the legacy of the consort who will be sorely missed at the Jubilee celebrations, Prince Philip

In a marriage that lasted more than seven decades, it was important that the Queen and her Consort could speak to one another as real people, away from the pomp. According to the Independent, Lord Charteris, the monarch’s former private secretary, once recalled: “Prince Philip is the only man in the world who treats the Queen simply as another human being. He’s the only man who can. Strange as it may seem, I believe she values that,” he told royal writer Gyles Brandreth.

See also: The Queen and the Commonwealth; A Platinum Jubilee Tribute

Although it wasn’t the first time their paths had crossed, there are photographs from their meeting at Dartmouth Naval College in 1939 that reveal the beginning of their life together.

He was an 18-year-old cadet, she was a 13-year-old, spending her days behind palace walls, playing croquet and tennis. What started as a teenage crush developed over the years into friendship with letters exchanged and occasional visits during the war years. While he was away serving with the Royal Navy, the young princess kept a picture of him in her room.