Queen Elizabeth, immediately, fell for Prince Philip when they met at one of King George VI's engagements, according to a new documentary. She was only 12 years old, but she, reportedly, fell "headlong" in love despite the young age.
The Daily Express recalled the meeting at Dartmouth Naval Academy. The young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret accompanied their parents during the visit to meet the cadets.
Prince Philip of Denmark and Greece had just started his training at that time. Despite being related to each other, the then-Princess Elizabeth was "struck" by the "absolute Greek god."
Lady Pamela Hicks, a first cousin to the Duke of Edinburgh, shared the series of events, starting in 1938. As noted, this was, already, the second meeting between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Speaking to National Geographic documentary titled Being The Queen, Lady Hicks revealed that her father, Lord Louis Mountbatten, was present when the now-royal couple met at Dartmouth. She said that her first cousin was almost a "senior cadet," who accompanied the Windsors during their visit.
Following Lady Hick's assertions, royal biographer Elizabeth Pakenham noted that the rest of the British Royal Family did not expect the relationship between the young Philip and Elizabeth to develop and last. Aside from the fact that the King's daughter was too young, the Greek Prince was, already, in his young adult years.
But, to the surprise of the Windsors, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed in touch through letters. They, reportedly, continued to write to each other, while the Duke of Edinburgh was at war as he served in both Crete and the Pacific.
In 1946, the couple decided to tie the knot. Philip, who was 25 years old, asked King George VI for Elizabeth's hand in marriage. However, the British Monarch asked them to wait for another year so they could marry when the princess turned 21.
During his proposal, Prince Philip did something "romantic" for his soon-to-be-bride. Town & Country revealed that the engagement ring he gave to Queen Elizabeth has an "extraordinary" and "heartfelt sacrifice" story behind it.
The Greek Prince's family lost many of their possessions after 1921. Reports said that the public banished the Greek and Danish Royal Family after a coup deposed Philip's uncle, King Constantine I.
Knowing that her son was planning to propose, Princess Alice of Battenberg gifted her wedding tiara to the young prince to have it dismantled, creating a ring fit for the future Queen of the United Kingdom. The young Duke of Edinburgh, reportedly, designed the ring himself. He chose a diamond as the center stone and added 10 smaller "pave diamonds."
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip announced their engagement earlier in 1947. They tied the knot in November of the same year.
