Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip’s Wedding
*Public Domain

Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip in one of their last photos together.
*Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Willie and Janie Gray in photos from shortly after their wedding in Oct. 1950 and from 2019 (Source: The Gray family Channel 12 News Alabama, Story by By John Shryock and WSFA Staff)

John and Charlotte Henderson in 1946, left, and 2019, right. As of 2019, they have been married 80 years. (Longhorn Village)
(Story by Gillian Brockell from the Washington Post)

   I look at YouTube videos a lot and sometimes I will get a feed on something that I was not specifically looking for. A video popped up about a month ago that was a short bio on Price Philip’s mother. She led a very extraordinary which affected him very much so. It was by chance that Philip became connected the future Queen of England and the circumstances that she became Queen was through her uncle (Edward) who abdicated the throne to marry the love of his life (Wallis Simpson). Edward became King after his father’s death, but he gave up his crown months later when he decided to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. 

Because of that, his brother the Duke of York succeeded to the throne as George VI. Elizabeth, who was the eldest daughter became heir to the throne when her father died. 

So, Elizabeth first met Philip when she was 13 and he was 18. They started communicating, eventually fell in love and they married when she was 21 and he was 26. At that point, Philip had a very successful naval career, and he was royal on both of his parent’s sides. His naval career was on the fast track, and Elizabeth was following him until her father, George VI died suddenly, and she ascended to the throne. Philip gave up his career. He pledged his loyalty to the Queen first, and England. His loyalty to her, his family, and country became his first priority.

You have to remember that Queen Elizabeth and Philip have 4 children and 3 of the 4 children had first marriages that did not survive. To think that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had 73 of marriage together when there are couples who wed who could not even survive 73 days of marriage. 

Loyalty and respect do not depend on your status in life or your wealth or how big or small your wedding is, how many gifts you have or if you got married by the Justice of the Peace, Vegas, Judge, or Clergy. I don’t care about politics or status in life. I admire people no matter what country you are from. So, in essence I admire Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s dedication to one another for 73 years. They understood what it means “In sickness and in health, til death do us part”.  Carolyn M.