Once upon a time, there was a princess, named Elizabeth.
1934
At a tender age of 8 years, attended the wedding at Westminster Abbey of Philip's cousin Princess Marina, daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and later Duchess of Kent, and Elizabeth's uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent. A teenager Prince Philip was also in attendance.
1937
Three years have past, they met again when Prince Philip was a guest during the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth's parents. Prince Philip, with his charm and regal bearing would have been enjoying his yuth.
1939
Destiny will finally show its hand in pulling the future husband and wife together. The outbreak of mumps brought them together instead of draw them apart when the Royal family visited Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 1939. Then Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark played "babysitter" to Princess Elizabeth. What were the chances! Being related put the prince in a trustworthy position with whom the King and Queen will entrust their daughters. Princess Elizabeth had been too young to have entertained love notions and Prince Philip had no romantic notions and was just trying to entertain a child princess. They played croquet to pass away time. It said that the young prince tried to impress the young princess. Who could have known that such an impression will lead to a more serious interest.
1943
As all love stories go, matchmakers always make things easier. Their relatives are said to have been rooting for them and played matchmaker.
They met again at Windsor Castle for Christmas in 1943. The future queen performed in a pantomime of Aladdin and observers witnessed signs of a blossoming romance between her and Prince Philip. Princess Elizabeth kept his photo on her mantel, while Prince Philip also carried her picture with him during the war.
1946
There had been many other ocassions that the two had meet but it was in the Wedding of Lady Patricia Mountbatten and Lord Brabourne at Romsey abbey on October 26, 1946 the cameras caught the shared glance between Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth now 20 years old. Prince Philip could not hide his interest anymore.
To court a princess, a relative she may be, would had been quiet daunting for a young man of Prince Philip's history. While of Royal lineage, Prince Philip is a pauper by royal standards {of course!), compared to other suitable suitors. But in the summer of 1946, Philip asked the King for his daughter's hand in marriage. The King granted his request, but delayed the formal engagement until Elizabeth's 21st birthday. When love is true, it can wait. By March 1947, Philip had abandoned his Greek and Danish royal titles, and adopted the surname Mountbatten from his mother's family. He became a naturalised British citizen. The engagement was announced to the public on 10 July 1947.
Their first public appearance came the next month, Princess Elizabeth danced with her new fiancé Philip Mountbatten for the first time at a ball in Edinburgh. It is apparent how much a lady is the princess. And how dashing and attentive her fiance
is to her (and he never stopped until the day he died).
1947 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh finally wed at Westminster Abbey November 20, 1947. If the way they looked at each other, oblivious to their surroundings, was any indication, theirs was a love story in the making that will endure decades of ups and downs.
Their honeymoon photos were tender and sweet. The unspoken gentle teasing by her new husband leaves the princess looking shy.
to be continued in Part 2...
