Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been married for more than seven decades now. Their marriage has become the longest one in any British sovereign.
While it is truly a remarkable milestone in any relationship, reports stated that not every moment was "pure marital bliss." As it happened, there were several instances, as well, when they faced challenges and struggles in their marriage, just like the rest of the world.
According to History Extra, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip first met in 1934. But, it was only five years later when they started to exchange letters after their meeting in Dartmouth.
In 1946, it was said that the young Philip asked King George VI for the then-20-year-old Elizabeth's hand in marriage. While it is believed that there were concerns regarding the future Queen's young age, it was said that the King's main concern was Philip's Danish and German affiliations.
It is worth noting that the now-Duke of Edinburgh was born with royal blood. His parents were Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Accordingly, he had to renounce his titles before he could marry the now-Queen of the British Monarchy.
A year later, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip officially tied the knot. Although the former was still the Heir Presumptive at that time, her husband was given the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich. It was not until a decade later when he was given the title of Prince of the United Kingdom.
As per Cheat Sheet, the Duke of Edinburgh has been always described as a "classic alpha male." He was said to request then that instead of having the name of Windsor, he wanted the family to become the House of Mountbatten, the surname that he received upon renouncing his natural titles.
However, Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the officials did not accept Prince Philip's request. Instead, the British Monarch went with Mountbatten-Windsor as the family's official name, which is why all of their heirs have this name. It was said that this was a way for the Queen to prove how important her marriage was.
She reportedly gifted the title of Prince of the United Kingdom to her husband in 1957. As per claims, this happened in the same year when controversies and rumors emerged that the Duke of Edinburgh was having an affair.
Buckingham Palace was said to deny all of the allegations. It was also claimed by experts and analysts that in order to prove the strength of their marriage, Queen Elizabeth II gave Prince Philip the said title.
