Lyla Dejesus
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey in London. Princess Elizabeth was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the heir presumptive to the British throne. Philip was born a prince of Greece and Denmark but stopped using these titles when he adopted British nationality four months before the marriage announcement. The couple shared the longest marriage in royal history, which spanned the entirety of the late monarch's 70-year reign. King George VI passed away in 1952, five years after the wedding, and Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten's wedding | 20 November 1947 |
| Princess Elizabeth's title at the time of her wedding | Princess, elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and heir presumptive to the British throne |
| Date King George VI died | 1952 |
| Number of years between Princess Elizabeth's wedding and the death of King George VI | 5 |
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What You'll Learn
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten married on 20 November 1947
The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and the Dean of Westminster, Alan Campbell Don. The Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett, delivered the sermon. The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people worldwide. The couple received over 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world, including 10,000 congratulatory telegrams. The wedding gifts were put on public display at St James's Palace.
Princess Elizabeth wore a duchesse satin bridal gown designed by Norman Hartnell, decorated with motifs of star lilies and orange blossoms. She also wore two pearl necklaces: the Queen Anne necklace and the Queen Caroline necklace, which were given to her as a wedding gift from her father, King George VI. Her wedding shoes were made of satin, trimmed with silver and seed pearl. She did her own makeup for the wedding. Her wedding bouquet, prepared by M. H. Longman, consisted of white orchids and a sprig of myrtle from the bush grown from Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.
Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten wore his dress uniform adorned with medal ribbons and the star emblems of the Order of the Garter and Order of the Redeemer. He also carried a ceremonial sword, with which he later cut the wedding cake with Princess Elizabeth. The couple's 900-pound cake was cut with the Duke of Edinburgh's Mountbatten sword, which was a wedding gift from his father-in-law, the King.
The day after the wedding, Princess Elizabeth's wedding bouquet was returned to Westminster Abbey and placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, continuing a tradition initiated by her mother, Queen Elizabeth, following her marriage to King George VI.
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King George VI died in 1952
On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the heir presumptive to the British throne. Philip was born a prince of Greece and Denmark but stopped using these titles when he adopted British nationality four months before the marriage announcement. On the morning of the wedding, he was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.
The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and the Dean of Westminster, Alan Campbell Don. The Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett, delivered the sermon. The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the world. The couple received over 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world, as well as 10,000 telegrams of congratulations. The gifts were put on public display at St James's Palace.
In 1952, five years after the wedding, Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died, and she became queen at the age of 25. Elizabeth and Philip's marriage spanned the entirety of her 70-year reign and was the longest royal marriage in history.
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Elizabeth became Queen in 1952
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the heir presumptive to the British throne. On the morning of the wedding, Philip was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. The couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations. The wedding ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the British Empire and the world.
Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, in November 1948. A second child, Princess Anne, was born in August 1950. The first few years of Elizabeth and Philip's marriage were relatively low-key, as they spent much of that time in a royal residence in Malta, where Philip was stationed in the navy. Biographer Ben Pimlott called this period the "most 'normal' of her entire life."
In 1952, Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died, and she became Queen at the age of 25. Elizabeth's coronation took place on 2 June 1953, and she became the monarch of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Elizabeth's coronation was a grand affair, with a procession through London, a service at Westminster Abbey, and the crowning of the new Queen.
Elizabeth's ascension to the throne marked the beginning of a new era for the British monarchy. As Queen, she dedicated her life to serving her country and the Commonwealth, fulfilling her duties with grace and dignity. She embodied the values of tradition, duty, and service, and her reign spanned decades of immense social and cultural change. Elizabeth's long reign witnessed significant historical events, including the end of World War II, the Cold War, and the turn of the millennium. She was a symbol of stability and continuity, providing a sense of comfort and familiarity to her people during times of uncertainty and change.
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Elizabeth and Philip's wedding was at Westminster Abbey
Elizabeth and Philip's wedding was a grand affair, taking place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom. Princess Elizabeth, the bride, was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the heir presumptive to the British throne. The groom, Philip Mountbatten, was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich on the morning of the wedding. The couple first met in 1934 at the wedding of Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, and fell in love in 1939 when they met again at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. Elizabeth was just 13 years old at the time.
The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and the Dean of Westminster, Alan Campbell Don. The Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett, delivered the sermon. The bride arrived at the Abbey with her father, the King, in the Irish State Coach. Elizabeth wore a dress designed by Norman Hartnell, a "duchesse satin bridal gown with motifs of star lilies and orange blossoms." She also wore two pearl necklaces, the Queen Anne necklace and the Queen Caroline necklace, given to her as a wedding gift by her father. Elizabeth did her own makeup for the wedding and carried a bouquet of white orchids with a sprig of myrtle from "the bush grown from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet".
The groom, as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, wore his dress uniform adorned with medal ribbons and the star emblems of the Order of the Garter and Order of the Redeemer. He also carried a ceremonial sword, which he later used to cut the 900-pound wedding cake. The wedding was an elaborate event, with the couple receiving over 2,500 wedding presents and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations from around the world. The day after the wedding, Elizabeth's bouquet was returned to Westminster Abbey and placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, continuing a tradition started by her mother, Queen Elizabeth, at her own wedding.
Westminster Abbey has been a significant location for the British monarchy, with King George VI being crowned there 11 years before Princess Elizabeth's wedding and Queen Elizabeth herself being coronated there five years later.
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Elizabeth and Philip's marriage was the longest in royal history
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten's wedding took place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London. Princess Elizabeth was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and the heir presumptive to the British throne. Philip was born a prince of Greece and Denmark, and he stopped using these titles when he adopted British nationality four months before the announcement of their marriage. On the morning of the wedding, he was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.
The road to the wedding was not without obstacles. Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born, and had sisters who had married German noblemen with Nazi links. Some of the King's advisors did not think he was good enough for Elizabeth, and her mother, the Queen, was initially not too sure about Philip as a son-in-law. In private, she called him "the Hun". However, the princess was determined to marry him, and her parents eventually relented.
The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and the Dean of Westminster, Alan Campbell Don. The Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett, delivered the sermon. The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the British Empire and the world. The couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations.
Elizabeth and Philip's marriage was one built on love and acceptance. On their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997, the Queen offered a glimpse into their relationship, saying, "He has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years. I owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim." Similarly, on their 50th anniversary, Prince Philip said, "I think the main lesson we have learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient in any happy marriage. You can take it from me, the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance."
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Frequently asked questions
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married on 20 November 1947.
King George VI died in 1952, 5 years after the wedding.
Yes, Princess Elizabeth faced obstacles in marrying the man of her choice, her distant cousin Philip. There was controversy over the inclusion of "to obey" in her wedding vows, as some thought a future queen shouldn't obey anybody. There was also criticism of Philip's lack of royal titles and German relations.
Yes, Princess Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, Prince Charles, in November 1948. Their second child, Princess Anne, was born in August 1950.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married for over 70 years until Prince Philip's death in 2021.
