Secrets of Queen Elizabeth’s marriage to Prince Philip revealed

Their wedding took place against the backdrop of post-war austerity, with Britain still recovering from the devastation and shortages caused by the Second World War.

Still, the wedding of the 21-year-old princess and the former Greek prince offered a rare moment of celebration and optimism.

Their relationship had been largely kept out of the public eye, despite deepening several years earlier after Philip spent Christmas at Windsor Castle in 1943 while serving as a naval officer aboard HMS Wallace.

A royal historian said: ‘What many people forget is that this was not a whirlwind romance. By the time the engagement was announced, Elizabeth had admired Philip for years and had formed a remarkably strong impression of him in her teens, when she was just 13.”

The source added: “Despite concerns in some royal circles about Philip’s background and suitability, Elizabeth’s resolve never really wavered. Those around her could see that she believed he had something very different to offer from the more conventional figures moving within royal society.”

During Philip’s Christmas visit to Windsor in 1943, Elizabeth, then 17, is said to have told her governess that he was ‘the one’.

The king’s private secretary later saw the young couple “wandering and pottering about until about 1 a.m.”