Once upon a time there was a handsome prince who fell in love with a queen in waiting and proved his doubters wrong by turning into one of the most successful consorts in royal history. The eternal devotion between the Queen and Prince Philip has been well documented and my favourite moment in the long life of the Duke of Edinburgh is a sweet show of love in their final years together. On a sunlit evening in Paris, in 2014, the two were caught in a moment of reverie that became symbolic of their deep bond and which seems to sum up the success of a relationship that spanned decades and helped make the modern Monarchy.
The couple were attending a garden party held in their honour by the then Ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts. They were in the country for an official visit which also included tributes marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day. And on the eve of that anniversary, which meant so much to both of them, they sat in the gilded chairs of Queen and consort, the Duke in his usual secondary role. But for one moment, amidst the formality of a foreign trip, Prince Philip found time for a quip which put a beaming smile on his wife’s face. The bond between them was clear for all to see as was the Duke’s ability to charm his Queen, all those years after they first fell in love.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut I also like this moment for its summation of the endurance and incredible stamina of the Duke of Edinburgh. This photo was taken hours before an emotional moment for the Prince who saw active service in World War Two and who had come to remember those who gave their lives in service of their country. Prince Philip was about to mark his 93rd birthday and was heading back to England for one of the most hectic months in the royal calendar. June always meant Royal Ascot, Trooping the Colour and the Garter service on top of the usual round of other royal engagements. Into his tenth decade, Prince Philip just kept on keeping on.
This image was used by the Royal Family as its featured photo of the couple on its website for many years and millions of visitors will have seen the Duke leaning in with an unheard comment while his wife breaks into an irrepressible smile.
For me, this one moment in the fading warmth of an evening in Paris, sums up the eternal romance of a couple whose love story became the foundation stone of the modern British Monarchy. Yes, there is a consort at the side of his Sovereign and there is a prince with a strong sense of duty, representing the country he served for so long. But there is also a couple whose love and devotion kept growing through the highs and lows of a life played out on a public stage. For that brief second, we all saw the handsome prince charming the ground breaking Queen and the magic of a fairytale shone through all the brighter.
