Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are celebrating a solid 72 years of marriage this November. However, before he met Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh was desperate to marry a different woman who was a former American actress.
In the book "Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life," author Philip Eade revealed that the husband of Queen Elizabeth was hopelessly in love Cobina Wright who was an aspiring actress in America. Prince Philip met Cobina, who was months younger than him, during a party in Venice.
Cobina, a FOX Studios talent, was "tall, slim and blonde with huge blue eyes and a radiant smile." She was also a model and a nightclub singer who became Miss Manhattan in 1939.
Smitten by the up-and-coming star, Prince Philip used to escort Cobina while she stayed in Venice. The feeling was mutual, and they both agreed to also fly back to London together, where they spend dining and dancing at the city's famous clubs.
When Cobina had to return to America with her mother, Prince Philip promised he would follow and visit the woman he intended to marry. During their long-distance love affair, Prince Philip wrote impassioned love letters to her, but Cobina eventually lost her interest in the royal.
One of the reasons Cobina didn't want to pursue a relationship with Prince Philip was because he was someone her pushy mother chose. The actress ended up marrying an American corporal while Prince Philip found a new girlfriend soon after.
Her name was Osla Benning, a Canadian who was a nature lover and who liked practical jokes. However, just like when he was a teenager, Prince Philip was also playing the field at that time, and this worried his father, Andrea, as he might run into "girl troubles." He and Osla would also exchange letters while he was in the Royal Navy until he met the 17-year-old Princess Elizabeth. This was a turning point in Prince Philip's life.
According to reports, King George VI, was fond of Prince Philip who would share to him stories of his adventures in the Mediterranean. The royal gave him permission to marry the princess after he served in World War II, and he vowed to renounce his royal family ties with Greece and Denmark to become a naturalized citizen of Britain.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth would have four children born to different eras. Prince Charles and Princess Anne were born 10 or 12 years before Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
