Rare Details About Prince Philip And Queen Elizabeth's Relationship

Heavy lies the crown, but it isn't easy being married to a monarch either. When Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, married Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, he accepted a public lifestyle unlike any other. Luckily, Philip was just the man for the job. He remained endlessly devoted to the royal family until his death in 2020, and she dearly missed him up until her final days in 2022. However, there's much about the Duke that most people don't know. Between his complicated ancestral legacy and his unusual interests, Philip sometimes surprised the Queen herself!

Not a native Brit

It might surprise you to learn that Philip was born far from London. Born a Prince of both Greece and Denmark, he spent his earliest days on the Grecian isle of Corfu. His family, however, soon had to flee their posh villa.

The young drifter

After his father made poor tactical decisions during the Greco-Turkish War, the Prince had to leave his homeland behind for good. He spent his youth educated in schools across France, England, and Germany, and Philip often saw little of his family. But on his own, he thrived.

Meeting a princess

But Philip's ties to other European royal families kept him in good company. In fact, at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent, the teenager met an 8-year-old Princess Elizabeth. They would reunite years later, but not before a string of tragedies.

The call of duty

Philip's family fell to pieces. His father was distant, while his mother was committed to a mental hospital. His sister, two nephews, and dear uncle all died within rapid succession of one another. A lesser man might've fallen to pieces, but young Philip gave himself over to a higher cause.