TIMELINE THEY WERE RARELY APART.
THE QUEEN AND HER PRINCE.
THEIR LOVE STORY PLAYED OUT IN
FRONT OF THE WORLD'S CAMERAS
ACROSS SEVEN DECADES, AND THE
WORLD SAW A COUPLE WHO COULDN'T
TAKE THEIR EYES OFF EACH OTHER.
HISTORIANS SAY THE BOND WAS REAL
AND UNWAVERING FROM THE START.
>> THE LOVE AFFAIR BLOSSOMED
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
>> Reporter: PHILIP FIRST CAUGHT
ELIZABETH'S EYE IN THE SUMMER OF
1939 DURING A FAMILY TRIP.
SHE WAS 13.
PHILIP, THEN THE DASHING PRINCE
OF GREECE, WAS ABOUT TO ENLIST
IN THE ROYAL NAVY.
>> PRINCESS ELIZABETH SAW THIS
18-YEAR-OLD 6 FOOT TALL
INCREDIBLY HANDSOME.
HE WAS NICKNAMED THE VIKING AND
SHE FELL DESPERATELY,
DESPERATELY HEAD OVER HEELS IN
LOVE WITH HIM AT FIRST SIGHT.
>> Reporter: THE SECOND WORLD
WAR KEPT THEM APART BUT THEIR
ROMANCE FLOURISHED.
>> HE WAS FIGHTING ON PRETTY
MUCH ALL THE NAVAL FRONTS.
>> SO THEY SPENT YEARS REALLY
CORRESPONDING JUST BY MAIL?
>> IT WAS A CORRESPONDENCE LOVE
AFFAIR REALLY.
THEY WROTE LETTERS TO ONE
ANOTHER.
>> Reporter: WHEN PHILIP
RETURNED, HE ASKED KING GEORGE
FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S HAND IN
MARRIAGE.
WITH THE WAR OVER, THE WEDDING
WAS A REASON TO CELEBRATE.
BROADCAST ON THE RADIO AROUND
THE WORLD.
THE ROYAL CARRIAGE PROCESSION
ARRIVING AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY
WHERE ON THE 20th OF NOVEMBER,
1947, ELIZABETH, THE HEIRESS TO
THE BRITISH THRONE, MARRIED
PHILIP WHO BECAME THE DUKE OF
EDINBURGH.
THE YOUNG COUPLE SPENT THEIR
FIRST YEARS OF MARRIAGE IN MALTA
WHERE PHILIP WAS STATIONED.
THE QUEEN, THEN A PRINCESS,
LIVED THE LIFE OF A NAVAL
OFFICER'S WIFE, STARTING A
FAMILY.
BUT JUST FIVE YEARS LATER, HER
FATHER, KING GEORGE, SUDDENLY
DIED AND ELIZABETH WOULD LKBECO
THE NEW MONARCH.
PHILIP GIVING UP HIS CAREER AND
KNEELING BEFORE HIS WIFE, JUST
CROWNED THE NEW QUEEN OF
BRITAIN.
>> THIS WAS A VERY MODERN
MARRIAGE.
>> THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS
REVOLUTIONARY, FRANKLY.
HE WAS A MAN, A HIGHLY
COMPETITIVE PERSON.
THE REST OF HIS LIFE HE'S GOT TO
STAND TWO OR THREE PACES BEHIND
THE MOST FAMOUS WOMAN IN THE
WORLD.
>> Reporter: OVER THE DECADES
THEY DANCED TOGETHER WITH HEADS
OF STATE, HOSTED COUNTLESS
GARDEN PARTIES, ENJOYED THEIR
SHARED LOVE OF SPORTS.
THERE WERE ROCKY PATCHES, BUT
MANY MORE SMILES AND HAPPY
MILESTONES.
THEIR DEVOTION TO EACH OTHER
CLEAR.
>> TOLERANCE IS THE ONE
ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF ANY
HAPPY MARRIAGE.
IT MAY NOT BE QUITE SO IMPORTANT
WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, BUT
IT IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL WHEN
THINGS GET DIFFICULT.
AND YOU CAN TAKE IT FROM ME THAT
THE QUEEN HAS THE QUALITY OF
TOLERANCE IN ABUNDANCE.
>> HE HAS QUITE SIMPLY BEEN MY
STRENGTH AND STAY ALL THESE
YEARS.
>> Reporter: PRINCE PHILIP WAS
THE LONGEST SERVING PRINCE
CONSORT IN BRITISH HISTORY.
>> I THINK ANYBODY, ANYBODY IN
THE WORLD, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LOVE AFFAIR
THAT LASTS OVER 70 YEARS.
THEY HAVE MANAGED TO CREATE
SOMETHING TRULY SPLENDID AND
MUTUAL AND BEAUTIFUL AND
PASSI
PASSIONATE.
>> Reporter: AND THE FOCUS NOW
TURNS TOWARD HOW TO HONOR PRINCE
PHILIP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS, WHAT HIS FUNERAL SERVICES
WILL LOOK LIKE.
NOW, TYPICALLY THERE WOULD BE A
LARGE PROCESSION, CROWDS WOULD
BE GATHERING ALONG THE STREETS,
BUT OF COURSE BECAUSE WE'RE IN
THIS ERA THAT WE ARE, THE
GOVERNMENT AND THE PALACE BOTH
DON'T WANT THIS TO TURN INTO A
SUPERSPREADER EVENT FRANKLY.
THEY NEED THIS TO BE COVID-SAFE.
SO IT WILL BE A MUCH MORE LOW
KEY AFFAIR.
A LOT OF THIS IS IN FLUX AND WE
EXPECT TO HEAR MORE DETAILS OVER
THE COMING DAYS, BUT WE DO KNOW
THAT PRINCE PHILIP'S FUNERAL
SERVICE WILL BE AT WINDSOR, THE
SAME PLACE HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME
WITH THE QUEEN OVER THE PAST
YEAR AND WHERE HE PASSED AWAY
TODAY.
GUYS.
>> NOT A STATE