EXCLUSIVE: Secrets of Queen Elizabeth's Wedding With Prince Philip Revealed — And How She Started Admiring Him From the Age of 13
Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip when she was 26 years old.
June 7 2026, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
Queen Elizabeth II's fairytale wedding to Prince Philip captivated a nation emerging from the devastation of war, and RadarOnline.com can reveal the royal romance began years earlier when the future monarch was just 13 and had already become convinced she haQueend found the man she would one day marry.
Elizabeth, who died aged 96 in 2022, married Philip, then 26, on November 20, 1947, in a ceremony watched by millions around the world.
How Queen Elizabeth Fell for Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip in November 1947.
Their wedding took place against the backdrop of post-war austerity, with Britain still recovering from the destruction and shortages caused by the Second World War.
Yet the marriage of the 21-year-old princess and the former Greek prince offered a rare moment of celebration and optimism.
Their relationship had largely been kept out of public view, despite having deepened several years earlier after Philip spent Christmas at Windsor Castle in 1943 while serving as a naval officer aboard HMS Wallace.
A royal historian said, "What many people forget is that this was not a whirlwind romance. By the time the engagement was announced, Elizabeth had admired Philip for years and had formed a remarkably strong impression of him while she was still a teenager, when she was as young as 13."
The source added: "Despite concerns in some royal circles about Philip's background and suitability, Elizabeth's determination never really wavered. Those around her could see she believed he offered something very different from the more conventional figures who moved within royal society."
During Philip's Christmas visit to Windsor in 1943, Elizabeth, then 17, is said to have told her governess that he was "the one."
The King's private secretary later observed the young couple "frisked and capered away till near 1 am."
Queen Elizabeth told her governess that Prince Philip was the one.
Not everyone was immediately convinced by the match.
King George VI, who died aged 56 in 1952, reportedly had reservations about Philip, who had spent much of his youth outside royal privilege.
As reported at the time, Philip had experienced a comparatively ordinary upbringing and had undertaken practical work uncommon among royal circles. However, biographer Sally Bedell Smith explained why Elizabeth found him so appealing.
Smith said she "saw in him a freshness" as he was "bright" and "complex."
The King's objections eventually softened, and Buckingham Palace announced the couple's engagement on July 9, 1947, although the agreement to marry had reportedly been reached six months earlier.
The bride wore an ivory satin gown with 10,000 pearls.
Wedding Gave Britain New Hope
Buckingham Palace announced the royal engagement in July.
When the wedding day arrived, tens of thousands of people lined London's streets to watch the royal procession travel to Westminster Abbey.
Despite continuing wartime restrictions, crowds gathered in huge numbers, some having camped overnight to secure a view.
Another royal source said, "The wedding became much more than a family occasion. For many people, it represented a brief escape from years of hardship and uncertainty. There was a feeling that the country desperately needed something positive to celebrate."
Inside Westminster Abbey, Philip waited alongside more than 2,000 guests, including six kings and seven queens.
Elizabeth arrived wearing an ivory satin and tulle gown featuring a 13-foot train, diamanté floral details, and 10,000 seed pearls.
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The Near Disaster Before 'I Do'
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of London.
The occasion almost suffered an embarrassing setback when Queen Mary's Diamond Fringe Tiara reportedly broke as Elizabeth prepared for the ceremony and had to be repaired at the last minute.
Following the service, King George VI later wrote to his daughter: "You were so calm and composed during the service and said your words with such conviction, that I knew everything was all right."
The newlyweds later attended a reception at Buckingham Palace before departing for their honeymoon from Waterloo Station, accompanied by rose petals, cheering guests, and Susan, Elizabeth's beloved corgi, who was hidden beneath a rug as the couple began married life together.
