The life of a royal is not the same as that of our own. Royals are subjected to different laws, and most importantly, different customs. Sacrifices have to be made at some point, and that is inadvertently true with Prince Philip.
Despite what the media feeds the public about the life of a royal, it is completely different. Behind the glitz and glamour of being married to royal sits the sincere question of existence. Dreaming of being part of the royal family is great, but living it is quite a different level.
Being the husband of the longest reigning monarch in the history of the British Empire is a great achievement. The Prince had sacrificed quite a lot to be on the side of the woman he loved. As with almost any great love, Prince Philip had sacrificed quite a lot to be with the Queen.
The Prince and the Queen married at a relatively young age. They first met when Queen Elizabeth was just eight years of age. The two have exchanged correspondence during their adolescent period. The then young Prince Philip eventually asked Elizabeth's father, King George VI, for her hand in 1946. The King agreed to the proposal, but he urged to keep it out of the public eye up until the Queen's 21st birthday. They eventually married on Nov. 20, 1947.
The couple has been married for 72 years. As with almost any other union, their marriage has been rocked quite a few times in the past. The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was counted as one of the most arduous events on the couple's life. Nevertheless, they have held on to each other and survived every challenge.
Prince Philip had a promising career before he married the Queen. Nevertheless, he decided to give up these pursuits to be with the woman he loved. Before his marriage, he had an impressive military career, something that he had to give up to be the Duke of Edinburgh.
Royal analyst Richard Fitzwilliams wrote, "Philip's role as a Consort is far from the role he would ideally have chosen, in the navy he would probably have risen high and not the King's failing health forced him to terminate a promising career."
Despite living in the shadow of the Queen, Prince Philip has dutifully stood beside his wife's side. Being married for 72 years is a great achievement on its own, and because he is married to the Queen, it is an impressive feat altogether.
