Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been married for over 70 years! The couple married in 1947 and still seem blissfully in love today. According to the docu-series The Private Lives of the Windsors, it wasn't always so easy! The Queen Mum was initially against her daughter marrying Philip!
The Queen Mother Feared Philip's Influence
According to The Private Lives of the Windsors, the Queen Mother had a difficult time letting outsiders into their close inner family circles. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon († 101) is said to have been quite critical of her son-in-law Prince Philip because she was afraid he was a "dangerous progressive," while the Queen Mother was deeply old fashioned and reactionary." Historian Jane Ridley explained, "The Queen Mother viewed him as rather an enemy and in fact, one would see those early years as being a tug-of-war and a tussle for the ear of the Queen."
Elizabeth's mother also worried that her authority as head of the family could be questioned. In the documentary, the royal biographer Christopher Warwick explained Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was bitter she had such a short time as Queen. King George VI died young at the age of 56 so "she felt they'd been cut off in her prime, she loved the position of being Queen and suddenly all that was taken from her".
The Queen Mum was only 51 at the time and had to hand over the scepter to her daughter and a relatively strange man. "The Queen mother minded very much being Queen-mother, and she was jealous of her daughter having become Queen," Warwick deduced.
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Britain's Queen Mother waves to supporters during celebrations to mark her 101st birthday on August 4, 2001.
(© Getty Images)
She and Philip butted heads a bit in the beginning, even fighting over how Prince Charles should be raised. Philip was afraid Charles was becoming a bit of "a wimp" so he was trying to toughen him up while the Queen Mother was determined to give Charles "delicate nurturing, sympathy and understanding."
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His progressive view irritated her as well, he thought of the idea to broadcast the Queen's coronation and had phones installed telephones at Buckingham Palace while the Queen Mother preferred the footmen who carried messages between the royals.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have had a successful marriage for years
However, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have proven that they made the right choice - their marriage continues to this day. Eventually, he and the Queen Mother also reconciled and grew close. Prince Philip celebrated his 99th birthday on June 10th and also had in July his first public appearance in months. He surrendered his military rank as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles outside Windsor Castle.
The Queen Mother passed away at 101 in March 2002. She is greatly missed.
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