The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among the first members of the royal family to publicly wish the Queen and Prince Philip a happy wedding anniversary on Wednesday. The royal couple marked 72 years of marriage, having tied the knot on 20 November 1947. Prince William and Kate's official Twitter account shared two pictures of the happy couple – a black-and-white snapshot from when they were younger, and a present day photo. The post was accompanied by the message: "Wishing Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh a very happy 72nd wedding anniversary."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wished the Queen and Prince Philip a happy anniversary
Watch the Queen and Prince Philip's love story
Elizabeth first set eyes on Philip when she was just a teenager, while touring the British naval academy where he was training. From that time on, "she never thought of anyone else," said the Prince's cousin, Lady Pamela Hicks. The Queen's cousin Margaret Rhodes also revealed: "I've got letters from her saying, 'It's so exciting. Mummy says that Philip can come and stay.' She was truly in love from the very beginning." When Philip returned from the Second World War eight years later, the pair's courtship began in earnest. But it took some time for Philip to be accepted by the establishment, because his family was exiled from Greece and without land or fortune. Elizabeth's devotion never wavered and in July 1947, their engagement was announced.
MORE: The Queen and Prince Philip's best photos as they celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary
Kate Middleton has a close relationship with the Queen and Prince Philip
Four months later, the then Princess Elizabeth tied the knot to Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth's dress was designed by court designer Norman Hartnell, who created her gown from ivory silk, and decorated it with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls. Despite being a member of the royal family, the Queen still had to buy her wedding dress with ration coupons at the time, and many members of the public sent her in their coupons to help her buy the dress. However, they were returned, and instead the government donated coupons to help her.
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Since Philip retired from public duties in 2017, he has rarely been seen out in public. The royal was last pictured out with the rest of the royal family at his granddaughter Princess Eugenie's wedding in October 2018. Most recently, it was revealed that he joined Her Majesty in August to undertake royal duties, where they received Mr Paul Hughes and invested him with the Insignia of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order. Paul had worked as the chief clerk and accountant of the Duke of Edinburgh's household.
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