Queen Elizabeth II Shared Rare Photograph Of Herself And Prince Philip From Her Private Collection

Apr 20, 2021 by apost team

Ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral, Queen Elizabeth II shared one of her most cherished photos of herself and her late husband via The Royal Family Twitter account on Friday, April 16, 2021. The photo, taken by the Countess of Wessex in 2003, shows the smiling couple relaxing on a grassy spot at Coyles of Muick in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Philip is pictured relaxing on his back with a sun hat on his knee while the queen, dressed in a tartan skirt, sits on her knees next to him.

The Coyles of Muick, situated near the Scottish town of Ballater, is a set of well-known rolling hills on the western side of Lower Glen Muck. From these grassy hills, one can see the mountain Lochnagar. The couple likely visited the location while they were staying at Balmoral, the queen’s private summer residence.

Philip, the queen’s husband of 73 years, died at age 99 on Friday, April 9, 2021. Having been married to Elizabeth for more than 70 years, he was the longest-serving consort of any British monarch. In Britain, flags around the country hung at half-mast that day in mourning of the royal family’s loss.

According to Sky News, the Lord Chamberlain, Baron Parker, was in charge of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral arrangements. The ceremony took place on Saturday, April 17 at Windsor Castle’s St. George Chapel in the English county of Berkshire. Although around 800 people would have attended the ceremony under normal circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic had forced the royal family to plan a smaller service of only 30 people, excluding Prime Minister Boris Johnson and public processions.

The queen shared the photo of herself and her husband on social media by way of The Royal Family twitter account one day before the funeral for Prince Philip.

“The Queen wishes to share this private photograph taken with The Duke of Edinburgh at the top of the Coyles of Muick, Scotland in 2003,” the tweet reads.

Buckingham Palace also released an official statement to announce Philip’s passing on April 9. “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” Buckingham Palace wrote in a statement posted online that has since been removed.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will (be) made in due course. The Royal Family join(s) with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, retired from his royal duties in 2017 at the age of 95, removing himself from the public eye. Before stepping back, he was considered one of the busiest royals, having had more than 22,000 solo appearances, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. However, since his retirement, his health has deteriorated. In 2018, he underwent hip surgery ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Less than a year later, Philip was also in a car accident, which led to him voluntarily relinquishing his license.

Additionally, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Feb. 16 on a precautionary basis after he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, the prince underwent surgery for a heart condition. Buckingham Palace released a statement following his March 16 release from the hospital that called the procedure “successful.”

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"His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him... and everyone who has sent their good wishes," the statement read.

In an oft-quoted speech on the date of the queen and Philip’s 50th wedding anniversary, the queen called her husband her “strength and stay.”

“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments,” the queen said. “But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”

Philip was born June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. Despite his roots, Philip was primarily educated in Great Britain, attending Gordonstoun School in Scotland and at the Royal Naval College in England. Following his service in World War II — Philip was a pilot for the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and Pacific — he became a British subject, which meant giving up his claim to Greek and Danish royalty.

In 1947, that same year, Philip, 26, married then-Princess Elizabeth, 21, at Westminster Abbey. From then until Elizabeth’s crowning in 1953, Philip continued his military service with the Royal Navy as a commander of the Magpie, a frigate ship. 

“The great thing about my father is that nobody’s ever forgotten meeting him, so they’ve all got their stories,” said Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, at Windsor Castle in May 2017.

“Wherever he’s been, wherever in the world — people remember him. You can’t really get a better accolade than that,” he added.

Rest in peace, Prince Philip. What do you think of this photo? And how will you remember Prince Philip? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family members.