The Queen's engagement to Prince Philip on this day in 1947 (2024)

It was a welcome ray of light in a bomb-scarred London still suffering from the impact of the Second World War.

On this day in 1947, Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten announced their engagement.

The happy couple appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to thousands of cheering well-wishers before inviting the waiting press inside, where they posed for pictures and gave a few brief comments.

Meanwhile, Royal aides spun the fairytale story of the beautiful 21-year-old heir to the throne and the ruggedly handsome war hero who - as a member of the Greek royal family - had renounced his own princely titles to serve with distinction as a British officer in the Royal Navy.

The waiting newsmen were reminded that both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

The implication was clear: the future of the Crown was safe for the foreseeable future after the trauma of the Abdication Crisis a little over a decade earlier.

But while 'Lilibet' and Philip - now the most 'in-demand' couple in London - embarked on a round of celebratory balls and parties, not everyone at the Palace was quite so delighted.

Sir Alan Lascelles, her father George VI's private secretary, spoke for many courtiers and some in the Royal Family when he wrote of Philip: 'They felt he was rough, uneducated and would probably not be faithful.'

It was a welcome ray of light in a bomb-scarred London still suffering from the impact of the Second World War . On this day in 1947, Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten announced their engagement. Above: Princess Elizabeth and her fiance, Philip Mountbatten at Buckingham Palace after their engagement was announced

Princess Elizabeth (left) seen with her family during a July 1939 visit to Royal Naval College Dartmouth, where a young Prince Philip (second from right) - then an officer cadet - was training. The photo is among the first to show the future husband and wife together

The happy couple appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement in July 1947

Elizabeth's father King George VI was so concerned that the couple's burgeoning romance may be a short-lived teenage infatuation that when Philip asked for her hand in marriage in 1946, he insisted they wait a year until after Elizabeth's 21st birthday before making any public announcement.

He needn't have worried - the courtship had already been going on for seven years.

The Princess had been only vaguely aware of Philip's existence when she was first properly introduced to her distant cousin, then an 18-year-old officer cadet, during a family visit to her father's alma mater, the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon, in the summer of 1939.

According to the princesses' governess Marion Crawford, the young Elizabeth had been immediately smitten by Philip's 'Viking' good looks – his fair hair and blue eyes – and his daredevil nature.

'Crawfie' told in her book 'The Little Princesses' - the publication of which saw her become a royal outcast - how a mumps outbreak at the college meant that Elizabeth and Margaret were sent to play with children in the Captain's house.

'Among them was a fair-haired off-handed boy of 18 who showed off to them by jumping the tennis nets and eating several platefuls of shrimps for tea,' she wrote of Philip.

Elizabeth is said to have never taken her eyes off him. Crawford added that when Philip and his uncle, Lord 'Dickie' Mountbatten, were invited aboard the Royal yacht moored in the estuary, the dashing young cadet's presence caused Elizabeth to turn 'pink-faced'.

Mountbatten later wrote in his diary that the meeting had been a 'great success'.

But Mountbatten's influence in facilitating his nephew's introduction to the young Elizabeth and later in securing invitations for him to Balmoral, Sandringham, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle served only to fuel the alarm of those who doubted Philip's suitability.

Philip, critics pointed out, was penniless. He had been born on the kitchen table of the family villa in Corfu shortly before his father, a career army officer who had overseen a defeat during the the Greco-Turkish war was arrested, accused of treason and threatened with his life.

Another photo taken on the day of the 1939 visit shows Philip walking towards the 13-year-old Elizabeth

The Royal Family arriving at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July 1939. To the left is Prince Philip of Greece

Lord Louis Mountbatten and Prince Philip of Greece seen standing behind the Royal Family during their visit to the chapel at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, July 1939

Philip was a penniless prince who had been born on the kitchen table of a family villa in Corfu

Prince Philip is pictured wearing a sailor suit in 1927. He was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg

Prince Philip (second left) with his school mates at an American school in Paris in 1929

Prince Philip's sisters seen in 1915 - Princess Theodora, Princess Sophie (the baby), Princess Margarita and Princess Cecilie (Cecile) of Greece

Prince Philip (second from right) in Nazi Germany at his sister Cecile's funeral procession in 1937, following her death in a plane crash. He is seen with his brothers-in-law and other Nazis. Lord Mountbatten is visible in the Royal Navy bicorn hat

Philip's mother Princess Alice turned to her English relatives for help.

King George V (Princess Elizabeth's grandfather) urged the Greek government to release Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark while sending a gunboat, HMS Calypso, to help the family flee.

The infant Prince Philip was carried to safety in an orange box.

The family lived in exile in Paris, but soon went their separate ways.

Philip's father spent the final years of his life living hand-to-mouth in Monte Carlo with his mistress, the French actress Andrée Lafayette, who lived under the self-invented title Countess Andrée de la Bigne.

Meanwhile his mother, Princess Alice of Greece, spent time in a mental institution in Switzerland after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Even worse, at a time when anti-German sentiment was still running high, was the fact that his four older sisters all married German noblemen - three of whom went on to become prominent members of the Nazi party.

The saving grace was that one of Philip's brothers-in-law, PrinceGottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburglater, was involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944.

None of this mattered a jot to Princess Elizabeth. Those who were there at the time spoke effusively of Elizabeth's fondness for Philip during their early days.

Among them was Margaret Rhodes, Elizabeth's cousin, who wrote in her autobiography, 'Elizabeth was truly in love from the very beginning'.

She and Philip began writing to each other - irregularly at first because of Philip's Royal Navy postings - and their correspondence touchingly showed the growing feelings they had for each other.

In a 1943 letter after he spent Christmas at Windsor Castle, Philip wrote of the 'simple enjoyment of family pleasures and amusements and the feeling that I am welcome to share them.

'I am afraid I am not capable of putting all this into the right words and I am certainly incapable of showing you the gratitude that I feel.'

The same year, he apologised for the 'monumental cheek' of turning up to Buckingham Palace uninvited.

'Yet however contrite I feel, there is always a small voice that keeps saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained",' he wrote.

'Well did I venture, and I gained a wonderful time.'

There can be little doubt that Philip's gallant war record helped him brush aside any Establishment objections.

As one of the Navy's youngest First Lieutenants, he fought in the Battle of Crete and the Battle of Cape Matapan off the coast of Greece, which was described as the Italian navy's greatest defeat of the Second World War.

Philip was decorated for bravery in 1943 after loading a raft with smoke flares and launching it into the sea to act a decoy for Nazi bomber pilots when his ship was under attack from the air.

He was also mentioned in dispatches for his 'alertness' in helping to spot enemy ships and in 1945, he helped to rescue servicemen who had to ditch into the ocean after their Avenger bomber was hit by enemy fire.

The same year Philip sailed with the victorious Allied fleet into Tokyo Bay, where he witnessed the historic surrender of Japan that marked the end of hostilities after five years of war.

Prince Philip acting as an usher for the wedding of Patricia Mountbatten - daughter of Lord Louis - in 1946. Seen alongside him are Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

Princess Alice of Battenburg seen above in 1908 (left) and with her son Prince Philipattending the memorial service for Edwina Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey, London, March 7th 1960

Princess Elizabeth's engagement ring was specially made from a platinum band set with diamonds taken from a tiara Philip's mother had worn on her wedding day

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten seen in October 1947. They were at Clydebank in Scotland for the launching of the liner 'RMS Caronia'

But in between his military adventures, whenever Philip was on shore leave, he would visit Elizabeth - having taken advice from 'Uncle Dickie' Mountbatten on how to navigate his way through the tricky protocol of the Royal family.

When Elizabeth was expecting him, she would, according to Crawford, watch through the window to 'see the tall, lean figure coming past the fountain in the centre of the road outside the Palace, or to see his small sports car turn in at the Palace gates. Usually a deal too fast...'

In a letter the Princess wrote to journalist Betty Spencer Shew - who was preparing a Royal Wedding supplement - she described Philip's love of driving fast in his diminutive MG sports car.

She wrote on headed paper from Balmoral: 'Philip enjoys driving and does it fast! He has his own tiny MG which he is very proud of. He has taken me about in it, once up to London, which was great fun, only it was like sitting on the road, and the wheels are almost as high as one's head.'

Three years later Philip told the Princess in another letter: 'To have been spared in the war and seen victory, to have been given the chance to rest and to re-adjust myself, to have fallen in love completely and unreservedly, makes all one's personal and even the world's troubles seem small and petty.'

By modern standards, the couple's engagement was short. After a courtship that spanned eight years and a global conflict, they were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey, just four months after the Princess first showed off her engagement ring.

The ring had special symbolic value that speaks volumes about their respective backgrounds.

It was specially made from a platinum band set with diamonds taken from a tiara Philip's mother had worn on her wedding day.

The diamonds - including a three-carat centre stone - had been part of the paraphernalia of a princess, but were among the last items of value Princess Alice owned.

They meant that Philip gave his new fiancée everything he had - something he continued to do for the rest of his life.

So what of those Palace doubts about Philip? In a sense they were right about his 'rough' and irreverent sense of humour, which attracted controversy and headlines for years to come.

Princess Elizabeth looked stunning on the day of her engagement toLieutenant Philip Mountbatten

The Princess is seen wearing her new engagement ring in another of the official photos released to mark the announcement

The happy couple tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in November 1947

But it can also be argued that the apparent mismatch in backgrounds proved to be the secret ingredient that bound their relationship so tightly together .

In Philip, the young Princess sensed an irreverent free spirit who was like a breath of fresh air compared to the sycophants and fawning flunkies she had grown up around.

Philip, meanwhile, had grown up pretty much abandoned and alone in boarding schools in France, Germany and finally in the austere environment of Gordonstoun in Scotland.

He must have watched the close, loving and affectionate bonds Elizabeth had with both her parents and her sister and seen them as a ready-made family he could belong to.

It is no wonder Philip took his role as husband and paterfamilias extremely seriously for the rest of his long life. He must have enjoyed, too, proving the Palace doubters so very wrong.

Because Philip and Elizabeth's marriage turned to be one of the great love matches, enduring for more than 70 years through good times and bad.

It was of course stoic Philip who passed away first, on April 9, 2021, just two months short of his 100th birthday.

The sight of the Queen having to sit alone at Philip's funeral because of coronavirus restrictions demonstrated her commitment to her beloved.

It was a bond that went far beyond a 'teenage infatuation'.

The Queen's engagement to Prince Philip on this day in 1947 (2024)

FAQs

Did the Queen ask Prince Philip to marry her? ›

Philip reportedly asked King George VI for Elizabeth's hand in marriage in the summer of 1946. The couple delayed their making their betrothal public until after the princess turned 21 years old. Philip and Elizabeth announced their engagement on July 9, 1947.

When did Queen Elizabeth get engaged to Prince Philip? ›

1. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip first met in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent. 2. Their engagement was officially announced on 9 July 1947.

What was the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Philip? ›

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's relationship was one of love, respect, and long-lasting admiration. They first met at Britannia Royal Naval College in 1939, where an 18-year-old cadet Philip was introduced to a 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth of England while she was touring the grounds.

What happened to Prince Philip in 1947? ›

By March 1947, Philip had adopted the surname Mountbatten from his mother's family and had stopped using his Greek and Danish royal titles upon becoming a naturalised British subject. The engagement was announced to the public on 9 July 1947.

Was Prince Philip a prince before he married the Queen? ›

Prince Philip did not have the title of king because of British royal tradition whereby a man marrying into the royal family does not assume the male version of the title held by his wife. He became duke of Edinburgh prior to his marriage to Elizabeth in 1947, and she designated him a prince in 1957.

What was the age gap between the Queen and Prince Philip? ›

Elizabeth first met Philip in 1939 when she was just 13 years old. At the time, he was the Prince of Greece and five years older than her, preparing to start a career in the Royal Navy. Elizabeth's cousin, Margaret Rhodes, wrote in her autobiography, "Elizabeth was truly in love from the very beginning."

How accurate is the crown? ›

The show, which takes viewers behind the closed doors of royal life, undoubtedly strays into the realms of supposition on occasion. But much of the action is drawn the very real personal and political challenges that beset many members of the British royal family in the 20th and into the 21st century.

Which queen married her cousin? ›

Albert and Victoria were first cousins, sharing a set of grandparents. Victoria's mother, Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Prince Albert's father, Duke Ernst of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were brother and sister.

Do royals still marry their cousins? ›

While it may not be the norm nowadays, marriage between family members was a common practice among the royals in the past. And it still happens to some extent even today.

Does Elizabeth love Philip the Americans? ›

The first 15 years of her marriage with Philip were relatively loveless. Elizabeth finally opens up to him after he kills her rapist. Initially, her newfound love for Philip is a conflict of interest to her because she has trouble constructively expressing and making sense of her own emotions.

Were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip related by blood? ›

Both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria

Having had the same great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were third cousins.

Why didn't they want Queen Elizabeth to marry Phillip? ›

Biographer A.N. Wilson has claimed that the young Elizabeth was told on a number of occasions that Philip was "entirely the wrong person to choose" because he was too funny and made "gaffes", according to the Telegraph.

What is King Charles' last name? ›

Because he belongs to the House of Windsor, he can be called Charles Windsor. His father's surname was Mountbatten, and his mother decided that her descendants could take the name Mountbatten-Windsor, so that's another possible last name for Charles should he need to use one.

What is Prince Philip's real name? ›

The Duke of Edinburgh was born Philippos Andreou Schleswig-Holstein Sonderburg-Glucksburg but this first name was seldom used and goes back to his roots within the Greek royal family. He was related to royal families across Europe.

Did Philip II ask Elizabeth I to marry him? ›

King Philip had initially tried to keep England Catholic and under his control by asking Elizabeth to marry him in 1559, an offer she rejected.

Did Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have a love marriage? ›

When it comes to love stories, the tale of the Queen and Prince Philip is one for the ages. It started in the 1930s and blossomed into a marriage that endured for more than 70 years, with the Queen famously describing her husband as her 'strength and stay'.

Did Queen Elizabeth's parents approve of Philip? ›

But years before the royals power struggle, both the Queen mother and King George VI didn't approve of Prince Philip, but their daughter, then Princess Elizabeth, was set on marrying him.

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