Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been married for over seven decades, but why does the royal couple was never seen holding hands in public?
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding day was held at the Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. In 1997, the two celebrated their Golden Anniversary, and the monarch said of his husband: "He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years." However, why Her Majesty was never seen holding hands with the Duke of Edinburgh?
For most couples, public display of affection is just normal, but for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, they displayed their affection to the public very rarely. Gyles Brandreth, who wrote his 2004 book Philip & Queen Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage, claims that he has been given "privileged access" to the royal couple.
Speaking to RadioTimes, he said that if most people regard Her Majesty's record-breaking reign as a success, then her husband is the co-author of that success. Brandreth noted that while the Queen wears the crown, the Duke of Edinburgh wears trousers. He explained that Prince Philip is the power behind the throne, describing him as: "shrewd, steadfast, never-failingly supportive."
Then, Brandreth discussed the differences between Queen Elizabeth's husband and son Prince Charles. The author claims that he asked the Duke of Edinburgh about the differences, and he reportedly revealed that the one great difference between them is that the Prince of Wales is romantic, while Prince Philip is a "pragmatist."
But despite that, Queen Elizabeth's husband has been a fixture by her side for over seven decades. During their wedding day, Her Majesty's father King George VI reportedly said that her daughter is "marrying the man that he loves." Over the past years, photos of the royal couple usually showed the couple sharing an inside joke, or beaming at each other.
However, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were never seen holding hands in public. According to Brandreth, the pair would never be seen holding in public because of the "stoic values" of their generation. On rare events, like the State Opening of Parliament back in May 2015, Her Majesty was seen holding hands with her husband in public.
In a related report, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip reportedly don't live together. The Duke of Edinburgh retired from royal duties in 2017, and since then, he reportedly spent most of his time in Norfolk. Her Majesty, on the other hand, mostly stays in Windsor as the monarch still committed to doing her duties.
