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The news that then-Princess Elizabeth would marry Philip Mountbatten was first announced to the world on July 9, 1947, during the reign of King George VI. They wed later that year, and the Queen and Prince Philip were happily married for 73 years until the Duke’s death in 2021. Widely regarded to be one of the most successful royal marriages ever, the Queen and Philip celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary in 2017.
After their engagement was announced, the happy couple posed for a series of sweet snaps, and the dashing young couple looked giddy at the prospect of spending the rest of their lives together.
Royal fans were also treated to their first glance of the Queen’s now iconic engagement ring, which was heart-warmingly created with diamonds from a tiara that belonged to Philip’s mother Princess Alice.
Commenting on the Queen and Philip’s engagement photos, and images of the pair in their final years together, Judi James told Express.co.uk that their body language changed “little” over the decades.
The body language expert said: “The wonderful thing about the Queen and Philip’s body language together is how little it changed over the years.
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“The Queen always managed to disconnect her roles of besotted wife to a dashing and rather proud man and that of Queen and leader, with high levels of power and status.
“In their engagement photos, she was always seated well below Philip and gazing up at him with an almost childlike smile of delight.
“Her body pose, with her slightly raised shoulders and crossed feet and tentative hand clasp pushed her more regal air to one side and allowed her to look like a teenager with a crush.”
While the Queen’s adoration for Philip was written all over her face, it was also clear just how seriously Philip took his role as the Queen’s protector even then.
Ms James explained: “Flash forward some 70 years and we can see almost identical displays from the couple.
“They were known to enjoy recreating their earlier pose but no amount of acting could have recreated the authentic facial expressions of love as they caught one another’s gaze.
“Philip still looked amused and loving as he gazed at the Queen and her smile of delight showed that besotted young woman from 1947 was still alive and present in the relationship.”
The Queen herself said in her first Christmas speech without Philip in 2021 that the Duke’s “mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”
