Very few couples in the world can say they have been married for 74 years but Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip certainly were.
A timeline of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's enduring romance
Here’s a timeline of their relationship from when they met to their deaths.
1939 - Elizabeth was 13 years old when she met Philip while on a family trip. Philip was an 18 years old Greek prince.
At that time, Philip was in the Royal Navy, and their courtship was one of correspondence. After the world war ended, he asked King George VI for Elizabeth's hand in marriage.
1947 - Elizabeth was 21 years old when she got married to Prince Philip in 1947. Their wedding was broadcasted around the world. The first years of their married life were spent in Malta where Philip was serving as a naval officer.
1948 - A year after getting married, the couple had their first child, Charles.
1950 - Two years after their second child was born, they named her Anne.
1952 - Her father, King George VI died and she had to return to England. She wasn’t crowned immediately, perhaps because she was too young or a woman. She had to be ‘trained’.
1953 - She was coronated on June 2, 1953. This is where their love story becomes more interesting. Philip gave up his career when she became Queen.
He knelt to honour her on the day of his coronation, and from then on he had to walk two or three steps behind her for the rest of his life.
1960 - The embattled former Duke of York, Prince Andrew was born.
1964 - They welcomed their last child, Prince Edward.
1972 - The couple marked 25 years of marriage.
1997 - The couple had been married for 50 years. On the day of their anniversary, the Queen gave a touching speech that has become quite popular over the years, "He is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments. But he has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years," she said.
In one speech, Philip spoke about the key to their long-lasting relationship.
“Tolerance is the one central ingredient of any happy marriage — it may be not so important when things are going well but it is absolutely vital when things get difficult," he said.
2020 - The couple celebrated 73 years of marriage in a happy portrait.
April 9, 2021 - It was announced that Prince Philip died at the age of 99.
April 17, 2021 - Prince Philip was buried, she sat alone with tears in her eyes at his funeral and gave a touching tribute
September 8, 2022 - The Queen died at Balmoral.
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