Queen Stays On the Throne for Her Entire Life & Will Never Step Down According To Former Aide

Apr 14, 2021

Prince Philip's death on April 9, 2021, has left the royal family, the United Kingdom and members around the world in deep mourning. The beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather has, in his seven decades of devoted service, set an incredible example of what it means to be a support to the crown and his wife and leaves behind an enduring legacy for decades to come. His life will continue to be a beacon of inspiration for many. 

Since his passing, there have been many recollections about Prince Philip's life and decisions that have so far been shrouded under a private veil. The royal family has maintained a strong wall between what goes on in their private life and what is revealed to the public, but new revelations are showing a whole new side of Prince Philip, especially his role as a loving grandfather to Prince William and Prince Harry. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated 73 years of marriage together, officially making theirs the longest royal marriage on record. Always by each others' side, the couple endured a lot in their over seven-decade-long relationship.

Over their long life together, the couple has shared a constant love and a certain sense of duty and responsibility towards their family and country. This sense of duty kept them working tirelessly and is what keeps the Queen from stepping down.

Unlike many royal marriages that are arranged matches, this marriage is based entirely on love. According to Reader's Digest, Elizabeth and Philip first met at the wedding of Philip's cousin in 1934, when she was 8 and Philip was 13.

They met again when she was 13 and Philip was 18, and the young Elizabeth found him to be very attractive indeed. 

CNN reports that upon seeing Philip jump over the tennis court nets at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth said to her governess, Marion Crawford, "How high he can jump!" Elizabeth had, until that point in her life, led a rather sheltered existence, surrounded mostly by her sister Princess Margaret and her governess. Upon touring the college with her family, she was believed to be instantly dazzled by Philip, and her fascination was obvious to those around her.

According to Biography.com, the relationship truly blossomed when young Prince Philip saw young Elizabeth perform in the pantomime "Aladdin" in 1943. Their relationship continued to become stronger through the years, and Prince Philip asked Elizabeth to marry him in 1946. 

Before he got married, he was required to give up his titles and succession to the throne in Greece. He did so willingly and took on his mother's surname Mountbatten. Originally a German noble family, Prince Philip's grandparents changed their name from the original German version of "Battenberg" to an English translation when they adopted English nationality during World War I.

Philip continued his military service with the Royal Navy after his marriage. He was promoted to lieutenant commander and given command of the HMS Magpie, a frigate ship, in 1950. 

"It's easy to look at the military career of a royal male and see it as a rite of passage, but with Philip one needs to look beyond that," said Ashley Jackson, a professor of imperial and military history, of Philip's military career.

The professor went on to add: "This wasn't a brief dalliance in the military. It's important to note that he's clearly an exceptional officer."

The Queen herself has always shared Prince Philip's sense of duty towards her family and country. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that she does not even consider stepping down from her duties as the ruling monarch. A former senior aide who used to work at the palace confided to PEOPLE: 

"Her family will step up and be by her side, but she will carry on. She understands that she has a job to do, and [Philip] would have wanted her to crack on. She did do so when he retired from public life."

Another source, only described as a royal insider, also told PEOPLE:

"She will never abdicate because of duty and honor and public service is so deep in her, as it was for him."

Other members of the family have expressed similar views while honoring the late Duke of Edinburgh. Prince William took to Instagram, where he shared a sweet picture of his grandfather and wrote a heartfelt caption. Near the end, he touches upon this sense of duty both his grandparents share:

"My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation. Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job."

What do you think about the Queen's and late Prince Philip's sense of duty? Would you step down in the Queen's place? Tell us what you think and pass this along to friends and family to see what they think!