Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip got married in 1947 and remained as husband and wife until April 2021, when the Duke of Edinburgh died shortly before turning 100 years old. Her Majesty passed away over a year later on 9 September, 2022, at the age of 96. Read on to learn everything about their inspiring romance...

When Queen Elizabeth II was still Princess Elizabeth she met Prince Philip in 1934 while attending Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent’s wedding. Elizabeth was only eight years old, while young Philip was 13. Little did they know this would eventually mark the beginning of their love story!

Five years later Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip got to see each other again, this time during a family trip when she was 13 and he was 18. Historian Andrew Roberts spoke with TODAY about that time. He said: “She fell desperately, desperately head-over-heels in love with him at first sight.” The rest is history. After a love-letter exchange for a couple of years, the couple announced their engagement in 1947.

The much anticipated wedding between Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip took place only four months after their engagement was announced, on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey, at 10:30am. On the big day there were eight bridesmaids, including Elizabeth II’s younger sister Princess Margaret, as well as her and Prince Philip’s cousins. Not to mention Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent, served as page boys.

Queen Elizabeth II became the 10th Royal Family member to celebrate their wedding at Westminster Abbey. The event, officiated by Canterbury’s Archbishop, Geoffrey Fisher, had David Mountbatten as Prince Philip’s best man. The wedding was recorded and broadcast to at least 200 million people around the world, by BBC Radio.

In 1949, they welcomed their first child Prince Charles, who has now become King Charles III. In 1950, the couple welcomed their only daughter, Princess Anne. In 1960, their third child was born, Prince Andrew. In 1964 their final child, Prince Edward, arrived.

Apart from the birth of their children, one of the most important moments Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip shared together was Elizabeth’s coronation. The latter’s father, King George VI, suddenly died on February 6, 1952, so Elizabeth, the first in the line of succession to the throne, immediately became the Queen, at the age of 25. However, her coronation did not take place until June 2, 1953. In an interview with TODAY, historian Andrew Roberts described the moment as “revolutionary". He said: "He (Prince Philip) was a man who was a highly competitive person and for the whole of the rest of (his) life, he's got to stand two or three paces behind the most famous woman in the world."

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are survived by eight grandchildren, Prince William, Prince Harry, Peter Phillips, Zara Phillips, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louse Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

In 1997, Her Majesty and Prince Philip celebrated their golden anniversary, marking 50 years of marriage. For the occasion, Queen Elizabeth II delivered a heartfelt speech, thanking him for being with her. The following line, uttered by the Queen at Banqueting House in London, will never be forgotten: "He is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments. But he has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years." As for Prince Philip, he said: “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."

They also had 12 great-grandchildren – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, Savannah and Isla Philips, Mia, Lena, and Lucas Tindall, August Brooksbank, and Sienna Mapelli Mozzi.

On April 9, 2021, the world received the news that Prince Philip had died at the age of 99. His funeral took place in accordance with the Coronavirus pandemic social distancing guidelines which were in place in the UK at the time. Then, 17 months later, on September 8, 2022, the world mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, after 70 years on the throne. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were husband and wife and wife for more than 73 years, 26,896 days to be precise. Their marriage is, so far, the longest lasting marriage in the history of the British Royal Family.