Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh first crossed paths when she was aged just eight and he was 13. Their bond blossomed into a marriage that endured for 73 years.
In a speech celebrating their golden wedding anniversary in November 1997, the late Queen affectionately described her husband as her ‘strength and stay’.
She said: ‘He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.’
The loving line was re-used in coverage and tributes when Philip died in April 2021, and again when the Queen passed away in September 2022.
In his book, Battle of the Brothers, Robert Lacey touches upon their unbreakable relationship, highlighting how Philip was the late Queen’s ‘ideas man’.
He writes: ‘Philip had been Elizabeth II’s “strength and stay” – her “rock”, as she had put it on one of the rare occasions he had allowed her to get soppy in public about their 73 years of love and mutual reinforcement.
‘Philip had also been her ideas man – the source of the surprising amount of original thinking that had brought distinctive character to the second Elizabethan age.’
In 1956, Philip founded the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which is widely recognised as the world’s leading youth achievement prize.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh first crossed paths when she was aged just eight and he was 13. Their bond blossomed into a marriage that endured for 73 years
The scheme encourages youngster’s development through volunteering, going on adventures, learning new skills and practicing physical activities, subsequently improving their life chances and employability.
It has helped more than eight million individuals in 140 countries around the globe.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was inspired by the Moray Badge, which Philip had worked for while attending Gordonstoun School in Scotland.
That badge was founded on the principle that all youngsters in the local area of Moray should benefit from out-of-classroom learning experiences, such as physical activities and expeditions.
Philip earned the badge, and its founder Dr Kurt Hahn persuaded him to give his name to what became the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
While the scheme is arguably the Duke’s greatest legacy, he remained relatively modest – to the surprise of many.
Mr Lacey explains: ‘Modesty had come to be a paradoxical characteristic of this often brash and extroverted man’s man who, when the time came, had surrendered his naval career to devote his lift to coaxing his shy wife into directions she would not otherwise have dreamed of going.
‘And while Philip had not achieved great success administering the Gordonstoun medicine to his eldest son – his parenting of the future monarch was significantly less than a triumph – he had played a more redemptive role in the lives of William and Harry.’
The late Queen’s wedding to Philip, held at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947, provided a much-needed lift to the nation in the aftermath of the Second World War
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pictured with their three children: Prince Andrew, centre, Princess Anne, left, and Prince Charles, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, in September 1960
The Queen made her heartfelt speech about her husband at Banqueting House in November 1997 to mark their golden wedding anniversary
Prince Philip laughs as he attends the presentation receptions for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award gold prize holders at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in July 2010
Philip accepts a Royal Charter from the Queen on behalf of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Buckingham Palace in 2006
Philip convinced Princes William and Harry to walk behind their mother Princess Diana’s coffin during her funeral in September 1997.
The author recalls: ‘It was Philip who had persuaded the boys to walk behind their mother’s coffin in 1997, with that touching gesture while marching under the Horse Guards Arch, where he thought there were no cameras and had placed a reassuring hand on William’s shoulder.’
Philip later introduced the concept of Windsor Sunday lunches, serving as an opportunity to guide William in preparation for his future role as King, while fostering a close bond between Harry and his grandmother.
This connection proved particularly significant when Harry and Meghan decided to step back from their roles as senior royals.
Despite his influence, Philip never overstepped his boundaries, preferring to leave constitutional matters entirely in the Queen’s hands.
‘Philip’s particular role in his wife’s lunches with William had been to vanish quietly when the conversation moved to constitutional matters,’ Mr Lacey explains.
‘This was to make the point that the Duke, as consort, left that sacred and central element strictly to those who were consecrated for it, and that he would concentrate on his multitude of other responsibilities.’
Throughout his life, Philip held an impressive 837 military, social and charitable positions.
Philip persuaded William and Harry to follow Princess Diana’s coffin at her funeral in September 1997
Philip planned his own funeral, held in April 2021 during the pandemic, and asked for his coffin to travel in a Land Rover
The ceremony was simple yet poignant, with a socially distanced, masked congregation, no military uniforms, and a small four-person choir
In a speech celebrating their golden wedding anniversary in November 1997, the late Queen affectionately described her husband as her ‘strength and stay’
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for more than 73 years, until his death in April 2021
Mr Lacey notes that early in Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Philip took over as chairman of the local Windsor Rugby Club, a role previously held by King George VI.
‘He would arrive on time without fail and without any publicity,’ recalled longstanding club stalwart James Noakes. ‘There were no press releases – and he was always wearing the club tie and the club cufflinks.’
This quiet sense of duty was reflected in Philip’s funeral service, which he had personally planned, held in April 2021 during the pandemic.
The ceremony was simple yet poignant, with a socially distanced, masked congregation, no military uniforms, and a small four-person choir.
Mr Lacey writes: ‘”Throw my coffin in the back of a Land Rover,” the Duke had said, apparently.
‘And he had insisted that he wanted no personal tribute or address during the service – no eulogy of lifetime achievements. That modesty again.’
The occasion also appeared to connect William and Harry, who had not seen each other in a year.
After the service, the brothers, along with other members of the Royal Family, gathered outside, now mask-free.
Lip-readers reported that William remarked to Harry, ‘It was great, wasn’t it?’ to which Harry replied, ‘It was what he wanted.’