Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II of England have been praised for their happy marriage for 72 years. However, Prince Philip was hit with a heartbreaking blow after his Royal Navy service was forced to be drastically shortened. After the death of the Queen's father, George VI, Elizabeth II became the focus of attention as the new monarch.
Essentially, this basically means that Prince Philip's Royal Navy career has ended, and Prince Philip is forced to retire early, taking on the duties of being the husband of the Queen of England and the responsibilities that come with it. National Geographic interviewed royal commentators who reflected on this difficult period between the Queen and Prince Philip.
Historian Sarah Griswood said: "Although he must have known that this moment would come sooner or later when he decided to marry Princess Elizabeth, he did not expect this moment to come so quickly." British royal biographer Philip Ed added: "Given the relatively young age of George VI, he is almost certain that when they got married, they had at least 20 years of carefree time."
After George VI's death, Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne and Prince Philip was forced to retire early. But it's all over after they're married just four years ago. Prince Philip's naval career is over and he will have to be his wife's "shadow" for his whole life. It is reported that the lives of Prince Philip and Elizabeth II have undergone tremendous changes, which has also put a huge pressure on their marriage.
In an interview with National Geographic magazine in England, Ms. Pamela Hicks, the Duke of Edinburgh’s cousin, pointed out that Prince Philip worked hard to adapt to his new role in supporting Elizabeth II after the death of George VI. Prince Philip supported his wife in this way, which was not common in the world at that time, and it was expected to add a lot of pressure to Prince Philip. Ms. Hicks added: "This very active and enthusiastic young man suddenly realized that his life would be changed, and he was worried that the rest of his life would become a 'submissive' person, which really ruined the married life of the married couple."
They also highly praised Prince Philip's sacrifice and dedication, Ed said: "I'm sure it was very difficult to start with, and people like Prince Philip had to devote their lives to the British royal family. Basically, he had to give up everything about him. I think he survived, but I'm sure that was a very difficult time for them."
