Were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip distant cousins? Meeting at a royal wedding turned into 73 years of romance
Prince Philip's demise has sparked a renewed interest in the British royal family. While it isn't a secret that all the European royals are distantly related to each other, you might however be surprised to learn that Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were distant cousins.
Even prior to marrying the Queen, Prince Philip was already royalty, thanks to his father and mother's noble backgrounds. Prince Philip's father Prince Andrew was the prince of Greece and Denmark, while his mother Princess Alice of Battenberg has connections to German royalty. If you're curious to know how Queen and her husband of 73 years are related, then we have got you covered.
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How is Queen Elizabeth related to Prince Philip?
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are related through Queen Victoria. Both of them are the great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria, which makes the royal couple technically third cousins!
Queen Elizabeth is related to Queen Victoria through her father's side. The late Queen Victoria had nine children (four sons and five daughters) with her husband Prince Albert. So when the Queen dies, their oldest son, Prince Edward took the throne in 1901. Prince Edward's reign was very brief, as his younger brother King George V succeeded him in 1910. King George's reign lasted until 1936, following which the Queen's father aka George VI, was crowned the king. Queen Elizabeth II became the reigning monarch after her father's death in 1952.
Prince Philip is related to Queen Victoria through his mother's side. The Duke of Edinburgh was born in 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. According to The Insider, Princess Alice was born in 1885 in the presence of her great grandmother Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle, which also happens to be Prince Philip's resting place.
How did Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip?
The royal couple first met at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent, in 1934. At the time of their meeting, Elizabeth was an eight-year-old Princess, while Philip was 13.
The couple reconnected a few years later when Elizabeth was 13. While she was visiting the Royal Naval College with her family she once again crossed paths with [Prince Philip, who was a cadet-in-training at that time. The couple soon began exchanging letters to each other. After a long courtship, their engagement was announced in July 1947, shortly after Elizabeth turned 21. Philip became a naturalized British citizen that same year, following which he renounced his Greek and Danish royal titles.
Philip also adopted the family name of Mountbatten. The couple got married in November 1947, at Westminster Abbey. Prince Philip received the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich after the marriage.