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thepastisalreadywritten · 22 days

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In words laden with affection and warmth, Prince Philip told the then Princess Elizabeth how he had fallen in love with her 'unreservedly.'

The letter, written in 1946 — a year before their wedding — was among several revealed in Philip Eade's 2011 book Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who has died aged 99, told the Princess how falling in love with her so 'completely' had made his personal troubles and even those of the world 'seem small and petty.'

He also found it difficult to put his feelings into words, describing in another message after they had spent time together how he felt incapable of 'showing you the gratitude that I feel.'

And he told the Queen Mother in the year of her daughter's wedding to him how 'Lilibet was the only thing in this world, which is absolutely real to me.'

Love letters

Philip served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and saw active service against German, Italian, and Japanese forces.

The Greek prince's early life was also marked by upheaval — he escaped his home country as a baby by being hidden in a makeshift cot made from an orange box.

So his words were filled with meaning when he told Princess Elizabeth in 1946 how his love for her made all his past struggle — and the horrors the world had just been through — seem trivial by comparison.

He wrote:

'To have been spared in the war and seen victory, to have been given the chance to rest and to re-adjust myself, to have fallen in love completely and unreservedly, makes all one's personal and even the world's troubles seem small and petty.'

Three years earlier, Philip had spent Christmas at Windsor Castle.

Princess Elizabeth was said to be animated in a way 'none of us had ever seen before,' her governess, Marion Crawford, wrote.

Writing to her after seeing her again in July, Philip wrote of the 'simple enjoyment of family pleasures and amusements and the feeling that I am welcome to share them.'

'I am afraid I am not capable of putting all this into the right words and I am certainly incapable of showing you the gratitude that I feel.'

The same year, he apologised for the 'monumental cheek' of turning up to Buckingham Palace uninvited.

'Yet however contrite I feel, there is always a small voice that keeps saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained,"' he wrote.

'Well did I venture, and I gained a wonderful time.'

And in a letter to the Queen Mother two weeks after his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in November 1947, Philip expressed his vision for their time together.

He said:

'Lilibet is the only thing in this world, which is absolutely real to me, and my ambition is to wield the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good... Cherish Lilibet?'

'I wonder if that word is enough to express what is in me. Does one cherish one's sense of humour or one's musical ear or one's eyes?

'I am not sure, but I know that I thank God for them and so, very humbly, I thank God for Lilibet and us.'

Public speeches

The pair's wedding, attended by an array of foreign kings and queens, captured the public imagination in the austere post-war days of November 1947.

The newly-weds were called the Fairy Princess and Prince Charming.

After honeymooning at Broadlands, Hampshire, home of Lord Mountbatten, and at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh stayed at Buckingham Palace until renovation of their new home, nearby Clarence House, was completed in 1949.

And in the years since then, both Philip and the Queen have spoken of each other with affection in public.

In a 1997 toast during the couple's 50th wedding anniversary, he said:

'I think the main lesson that we have learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage.

It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when the going gets difficult.

You can take it from me that the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.'

She said on the same evening that Philip had been her 'strength and stay all these years.'

'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,' she added.

In 2002, at her Golden Jubilee Speech, the monarch said of her consort:

'The Duke of Edinburgh has made an invaluable contribution to my life over these past fifty years, as he has to so many charities and organisations with which he has been involved.'

And, during her Diamond Jubilee address to Parliament in 2012, the Queen said to her husband:

'During these years as your Queen, the support of my family has, across the generations, been beyond measure.

Prince Philip is, I believe, well-known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide.'

Private moments

Philip was there for the Queen when her father, King George VI, died in February 1952.

Only six days before her father's death, the then Princess and Philip had embarked on their tour of Australia via Kenya.

According to Eade in his book, Philip said of the days following the King's death that 'there were plenty of people telling me what not to do.'

He added:

'I had to try to support the Queen as best I could without getting in the way. The difficulty was to find things that might be useful.'

And according to an anecdote told by Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia, Philip is said to have told the Queen when recalling their first meeting in 1934 that — 'you were so shy. I could not get a word out of you.'

Mischievous Philip is also said to have joked to his wife on the day of her coronation in 1953 — when she was wearing the 17th-century St Edward's Crown — 'where did you get that hat.'

Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022)

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021)

#Prince Philip #Duke of Edinburgh #Queen Elizabeth II #Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother #British Royal Family #love letters #Fairy Princess #Prince Charming #Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia #Philip Eade #Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life #in memoriam #in loving memory

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salmonella-destroyer-of-worlds · 2 years

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I love the Internet

#dank memes #funny post #meme #dank #silly #dark humor #funny #funny pics #funny pictures #dankest memes #humor #memes #comedy #politics #queen elizabeth the queen mother #news #england

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for-valour · 8 months

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I adore finding original true colour footage of our lovely King George VI ❤️

There is so little available that I am always surprised to see his tanned skin (from spending so much time outdoors!) and the brightness of his ribbon medals.

Check out the way he just eyeballs the camera for a split second. You better look sharp and behave! Bertie’s always watching you…

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) at Malvern College, Worcestershire, in 1944. Source: The Imperial War Museum

gifs made by: @for-valour

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davbertieloml · 5 months

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The first official photo of King George VI's Family four days after His Majesty was proclaimed King

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, 15 December 1936.

On 11 December, following the abdication of King Edward VIII, the Duke of York was proclaimed Sovereign, as King George VI. Realising that there would be a demand for photographs of the new Royal Family, not just at home but worldwide, a sitting was booked with Marcus Adams for four days after the accession.

#king george vi #george vi #queen elizabeth #queen mother #queen elizabeth the queen mother #princess elizabeth #princess margaret #british royal family #royal family #abdication #1936 #1930s

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ilovethemonarchy · 4 months

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Prince Albert & Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the future King George VI & Queen Elizabeth) got engaged on this day in 1923.

“My dear Darling, I am just writing you a very little letter, I shall be thinking about you when you get this, & hoping that everything will go off wonderfully well. I am quite sure it will. Also, I might add that I do [underlined several times] love you Bertie, & feel certain that I shall more & more . I shall miss you terribly. You are such an Angel to me.” - Queen Elizabeth

“This is my first letter to you since you made me such a very happy person that Sunday at St Paul’s Walden & you don’t know what a wonderful difference it has made to me darling, in all ways. I think I must have always loved you darling but could never make you realise it without telling you actually that I did & thank God I told you at the right moment.” - King George VI

#king george vi #bertie #queen elizabeth the queen mother #the queen mother #britishroyalfamily #elizabeth bowes lyon

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girlbloggerinterrupted222 · 7 months

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fun fact: it was actually elizabeth grant who signed the declaration of independence

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andreeamq · 5 months

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The Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Anne wave goodbye to Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon from Buckingahm Palace forecourt as they leave for their honeymoon on May 6, 1960.

#queen elizabeth ii #princess royal #princess anne #queen elizabeth the queen mother #queen mother #princess margaret #anthony armstrong jones #british royal family #brf

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europesroyalsjewels · 10 months

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Cambridge Pearl Brooch sans Drop ♕ King Charles III

#queen elizabeth #queen elizabeth ii #queen elizabeth the queen mother #elizabeth bowes lyon #queen mary #mary of teck #great britain #british royal family #king charles #Charles III #king charles iii #royal jewels

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collarsncrowns · 1 year

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The infant Princess Elizabeth of York (later Elizabeth II) receives doting affection from her grandfather, King George V. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess of York (later George VI and Queen Elizabeth), happily look on. Balmoral, 10 Sept 1927.

#Elizabeth ii #princess elizabeth #Queen Elizabeth ii #Queen Elizabeth #Queen mother #queen elizabeth the queen mother #Duke of york #Duchess of York #Prince Albert #king George v #George v #balmoral #1920s

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gabriellademonaco · 2 months

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Royal Hat Appreciation (345/∞)

#queen elizabeth ii #queen margrethe ii #crown princess victoria #queen camilla #princess diana #queen elizabeth the queen mother #autumn phillips #hat spam #royal fashion #mine

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queenalexandraofdenmark · 3 months

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👗🤎 ~ Princess Margaret meeting the Queen Mother on the set of the play Cinderella during WWII, 1941. ~ 🤎👗

#princess margaret #countess of snowdon #queen elizabeth the queen mother #elizabeth bowes-lyon #wwii #rare photo #1941 #1940s

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thepastisalreadywritten · 2 months

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By Simmone Shah

29 February 2024

While Catherine Middleton has been absent from royal duties for two months due to a “planned abdominal surgery,” the British public has been full of speculation about what's going on with their future Queen Consort.

But the royal family has always held a fine line between balancing private health matters with disclosure to the public they serve.

“You could argue that details about a head of state are in the public interest,” says Richard Fitzwilliams, an expert on the royal family.

“But on the other hand, to what extent does a public figure have a right to privacy?”

Catherine's absence fits into a long and evolving history of how royals have chosen to handle health issues.

Past generations often shrouded them in secrecy. Perhaps most famously, in the 1950s, the British public was not told when King George VI had lung cancer.

In 1951, he had his left lung removed because of what was vaguely described as “structural abnormalities," and cancer was not mentioned in his death announcement.

Occasionally, past generations would be more open about less significant problems.

Once in 1982, when Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, had to visit the hospital after nearly choking to death on a fishbone, she issued a statement to the press, joking, “It was only the salmon getting its own back."

“The fishbone is quite revealing because they tended to be more open about minor instances,” says Gareth Russell, a historian and author who focuses on the British royal family.

“Britain was a much more reserved society in the 20th century, and in families across the land and across the social spectrum, cancer or fatal illnesses often weren't discussed.”

Catherine and William’s approach has proved to be starkly different, as they’ve addressed private matters with far more candor.

“Catherine and William are members of a different generation, so they feel no shame in being open about challenges,” says Clare McHugh, a royal historian and author.

Neither Catherine or William have shied away in the past from speaking out about health matters.

Prince William has spoken extensively about the importance of mental health, and Catherine spoke about the difficult morning sickness she faced during her pregnancies.

She also revealed her postpartum baby bump in photos hours after giving birth to her son, Prince George.

In part, it’s a necessary tactic for the internet age in which secrets are much harder to keep.

“I think they do recognize that in order to survive and flourish in a modern era they need to be honest about what is going on with them,” says McHugh.

“It’s better for them to be candid up front rather than let internet rumors fly.”

That they have previously been somewhat transparent only makes their current silence stand out, experts say.

“That’s why William and Catherine’s reticence about what's going on with them is odd,” says McHugh.

As Kathryn Lamontagne, a lecturer in Social Science at Boston University says, sometimes saying nothing causes more of a stir than addressing the problem head on, a lesson the Royal Family learned when Queen Elizabeth II missed parts of a major event in the months before her death.

“For Royal followers, her absence from the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 was a glaring sign of how unwell she was and a clear indicator of a serious issue on the horizon,” Lamontagne said in an email.

Still, despite her candor in the past, in many ways the Duchess of Cambridge’s silence is simply following tradition.

“This dance between private and public information nudges the line of medical privacy and a public clamoring for details, but it still follows the pattern of giving very few medical details of a certain kind to the public,” says Lamontagne.

“‘Never complain, never explain,’ in the words of the late Queen.”

#Princess of Wales #Catherine Princess of Wales #Catherine Middleton #Kate Middleton #British Royal Family #health issues #abdominal surgery #right to privacy #King George VI #Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother #Prince William #Prince of Wales #Queen Elizabeth II #medical privacy

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salmonella-destroyer-of-worlds · 2 years

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We lost a link to the past..

#dank memes #funny post #meme #dank #silly #dark humor #funny #funny pics #funny pictures #dankest memes #humor #memes #comedy #politics #news #queen elizabeth the queen mother

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for-valour · 1 year

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On this day, 86 years ago: 12th May 1937:

The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

‘…Then came Papa looking very beautiful in a crimson robe and the Cap of State.’

‘I thought it all very, very wonderful and I expect the Abbey did, too.’

‘The arches and beams at the top were covered with a sort of haze of wonder as Papa was crowned…’

‘When Mummy was crowned and all the peeresses put on their coronets it looked wonderful…’

‘At the end, the service got rather boring as it was all prayers. Grannie and I were looking to see how many more pages to the end, and we turned one more and then I pointed to the word at the bottom of the page and it said ‘Finis.’ We both smiled at each other and turned back to the service.’

Excerpts taken from 11–year-old Lilibet’s account of her father’s coronation ❤️

Bertie looks so very anxious in some of these clips 🥹

All gifs made by @for-valour

Source: YouTube.

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davbertieloml · 8 months

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The Royal Family, 1938

📸 Marcus Adams

#king george vi #george vi #bertie #queen elizabeth #queen elizabeth the queen mother #queen elizabeth ii #princess margaret #british royal family

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newyorkthegoldenage · 6 months

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It's no secret that the British Royal Family of the time loved Broadway musicals. During her visit to New York, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother got a chance to see The Pajama Game at the St. James Theater before the London production opened, October 27, 1954.

Photo: Marty Lederhandler for the AP

#vintage New York #1950s #Marty Lederhandler #Queen Mother #Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother #royalty #royal visit #British royal family #Oct. 27 #27 Oct.#The Pajama Game #St. James Theater #vintage Broadway #theater

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