Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Prince Philip's rare touching comment about marriage to the Queen

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen were married for 73 years


the queen prince philip marriage© Photo: Getty Images
Rachel Avery
Homes Editor
September 22, 2021
Share this:

The Queen's late husband Prince Philip rarely spoke out about his marriage to the monarch, but when he did the words came straight from the heart.

READ: 11 surprising facts about the Queen and Prince Philip’s wedding day

When the royal couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in November 1997, the Duke of Edinburgh revealed what he believed to be the secret to a long-lasting, happy marriage.

WATCH: The Queen and Prince Philip's gorgeous wedding day

"I think the main lesson we have learnt is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient in any happy marriage," he said during a toast to his wife.

Going on to say: "You can take it from me, the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance."

His wife, Her Majesty, also kept her marriage private, however, she did reciprocate the kind words during their 50-year anniversary celebrations.

Princess Elizabeth dress © Photo: Rex

The royal wedding took place shortly after the Second World War

She said: "All too often, I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speaking. Frequently we have discussed my intended speech beforehand and, as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner.

"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and 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."

LOOK: The unseen moment Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding guests were moved to tears

queen prince philip

The royal couple rarely made comments on eachother

Their beautiful love story lasted 73 years until the Duke of Edinburgh sadly passed away on 9 April 2021.

The couple, who started to exchange letters when Elizabeth was a young teenager, had known each other for years, and married on 20 November at Westminster Abbey – the same venue where Prince William and Kate wed in 2011.

SEE: The Queen's engagement ring pays tribute to Prince Philip's family

The monarch wore a dress designed by Norman Hartnell, who was known for his work with the royal family.

The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the world, and London was buzzing all day as crowds gathered to celebrate.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Weddings

See more