Monarchy Monday: Timeless romances within The Royal Family

With Valentines Day at the end of this week, the hopeless romantic in me couldn’t help but take a look back at some of the timeless romances within The Royal Family.

Easily the most famous of these romances would be the one between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. When Queen Victoria was to wed she had her choice of many eligible husbands, yet her heart only belonged to her first cousin, Prince Albert. The rest is history…

Upon her marriage to Prince Albert, Victoria claimed: “I felt so happy when the ring was put on, and by my Albert.”

They went on to have a family of five girls and four boys.  However their love story was cut short by Albert’s death in 1861. Queen Victoria disappeared from public view and wore black until the day she passed away in 1901.

On the event of his death she wrote: “To see our pure, happy, quiet domestic life cut off…when I had hoped God would let us grow old together is too awful.”

While Queen Victoria had to deal with the untimely death of her beloved husband, a modern-day Royal has ruled for over 60 years with her love standing beside her.

Queen Elizabeth II married her true love Prince Philip on November 20th, 1947. The road to the marriage was not easy, although it was love at first sight. Many were opposed to a marriage of the future Queen to Philip, who was foreign-born, with no financial standing, and with sisters who married men with ties to the Nazis.

Philip renounced his Danish and Greek titles, as well as taking his British mothers last name (Mountbatten) in order to marry Elizabeth.

Despite the views of critics, they will now have been married for 68 years later this year.

Although they do not always show the strength of their love in public as the younger generations of Royals may do, The Queen has honoured her husband in many other ways. In March 2012, during a Diamond Jubilee speech, she spoke out about his support:

“Prince Philip is, I believe, well known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide.”

Her Majesty also presented Philip with the title Lord High Admiral for his 90th birthday in honour of his work and dedication.

No matter if you are a Monarch or not, it helps to have support, a best friend, and a true love to help you day in and day out. Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth are luckily enough to have found that.

photo credit: Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a crown and an ermine-trimmed cloak, next to Prince Philip, in uniform, 1950 via photopin (license)

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