British Royal Wedding

Queen Elizabeth II met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece, as a 13 year old in 1939. Throughout her teens, she stayed devoted to Philip. Prince Philip proposed to Elizabeth in 1946. Reportedly, the two were taking a walk on a sunny summer day at Balmoral when Philip popped the question. Elizabeth was quoted as later saying

“It was wonderful, magical. I just threw my arms round his neck and kissed him as he held me to him, my feet off the ground.”

The young couple kept their engagement a secret, until it was leaked to the press. The engagement was controversial, and both of Elizabeth’s parents were opposed. It was not until April 1947 that Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, gave them permission to marry. Prince Philip gave up his Greek citizenship and title, and assumed the surname Mountbatten. Prior to marrying Elizabeth, he was bestowed with the title Duke of Edinburgh by the King.

Elizabeth and Philip were married on November 20th 1947 in Westminster Abbey. During the ceremony, the Duke of Edinburgh gave Elizabeth a band of Welsh gold, as is customary among the royals, to wear alongside her engagement ring which was fashioned from diamonds that once decorated a tiara belonging to Philip’s mother.

The richly embroidered white satin wedding dress shimmered with her every movement. Softly spaced throughout the dress were garlands of pearl orange blossom, syringa, jasmine and White Rose of York. These were skilfully combined with flowing lines of wheat ears, the symbol of fertility, and worked in pearl and diamante. - fashion-era.com

The wedding was the first royal celebration following the war and and Winston Churchill described the occasion as a “bright ray of colour on the hard gray road we have to travel”. Following the ceremony, 150 guests enjoyed a wedding feast at Buckingham Palace.

Philip and Elizabeth were accompanied on their honeymoon to Broadlands, an historic house in Hampshire owned by Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten, by her favourite canine companion.

An audio book, The Wedding of Their Royal Highnesses Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, celebrates the occasion.

The couple welcomed their first child, Charles, in November 1948. Their only daughter, Anne, was born in August 1950. Andrew was born in February 1960 followed by Edward in March 1964.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are celebrating 60 years of marriage - the longest for any monarch - in 2007. They will mark their Diamond Wedding Anniversary with a thanksgiving ceremony at Westminster Abbey in November.