Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for 73 years before his death - here's a timeline of their epic romance

The pair met for the first time when Princess Elizabeth was just 8 years old, and Philip was 13.

Philip was born into the Greek and Danish royal families and is a distant cousin of Elizabeth's. They both descend from the Victoria royal line.

When Elizabeth was 13, the royal family made a visit to the Royal Naval College, where Philip was a cadet in training, according to the BBC. They met again and shortly began exchanging letters back and forth.

In the press, Philip was described favorably, as "a blond Greek Apollo," "a Viking," and "handsome as any film star," according to Town & Country.

It was announced that the two were engaged in 1947, shortly following Elizabeth's 21st birthday.

The wedding took place after World War II, which was reflected in the grandeur of the ceremony and celebrations.

The British government awarded Princess Elizabeth an extra 200 clothing coupons for her to purchase her wedding gown, and 2,500 guests attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

There, in 1949, they had their first son, Prince Charles, according to The Royal Family's website.

At the time of Princess Anne's birth, Princess Elizabeth was 24 years old and Prince Philip was 29.

She was just 25 years old at the time of her crowning. At her coronation, Prince Philip offered her his undying loyalty, kneeling before her and pledging to be her "liegeman," or faithful servant.

You can see him in the photo above nestled in Prince Philip's lap.

During most royal engagements and tours, Prince Philip acted as the young Queen's constant companion and support system.

It was the first birth that Prince Phillip had attended by his wife's side, and the first royal birth in modern history attended by the father of the child.

"The Duke of Edinburgh was actually holding his wife's hand as their youngest was born," royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote in "My Husband and I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of Royal Marriage."

"The Queen, by then aged 37, had asked him to be there; she'd been keenly reading women's magazines that stressed the importance of involving fathers in childbirth and had become fascinated by the idea," she wrote. "Thus Philip became the first royal father in modern history to witness the arrival of one of his children."

"If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it," Queen Elizabeth said at their anniversary celebration.

Above, the royal couple attended a service during celebrations for the Queen's silver jubilee.

Here's the queen speaking to Parliament in 1986, with Philip on her left.

The pair were photographed visiting a makeshift memorial for the beloved "people's princess" in 1997, shortly after her death. Prince Philip also supportively walked alongside his grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as Charles Spencer (her brother) and his son Prince Charles, as they followed the procession of Princess Diana's coffin.

Months later, as the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Queen Elizabeth described the Duke of Edinburgh as her "strength and stay all these years."

"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," she continued.

Through yet another heartbreak, Prince Philip was by her side.

Prince Philip appeared next to Queen Elizabeth to wave to well-wishers.

During an official state visit to Malta, where the pair lived during the early years of their marriage, Prince Philip held up an umbrella for his wife.

By then, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had reached another important milestone – they were the longest-married couple in the history of the royal family.

They smiled at each other during the marriage of their grandson, Prince William, to his wife Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge.

They cozied up under the same blanket while watching the Highland Games in Scotland.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, two of which were named after Prince Philip.

"When we were married I don't think there was such a thing as a platinum anniversary, they didn't know we would be around that long," Queen Elizabeth said in her annual Christmas address.

According to the New York Times, since Queen Elizabeth's ascension to the throne in 1952, Philip had taken part in 22,219 solo engagements, given 5,496 speeches, and written 14 books.

"Even Prince Philip has decided it's time to slow down a little — having, as he economically put it, 'done his bit'," the Queen said in a statement. "But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever."

The Queen and Prince Philip met Archie alongside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on May 8, 2019, two days after he was born.

"Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes for The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on their 73rd Wedding Anniversary," their official Instagram account wrote.

On February 23, a representative for the Duke said in a statement that he was being treated for an infection and was "comfortable and responding to treatment."

Prince Philip was later transferred to St Bartholomew's Hospital, a specialist cardiovascular hospital in London, on March 1.

The palace said Philip underwent a "successful procedure" for a preexisting heart condition on March 3, and he returned to Windsor Castle on March 16.

Following the couple's exit from the royal family and subsequent move to the United States, there's been undeniable tension between the family members.

However, that doesn't seem to have affected Prince Harry or Meghan Markle's relationship with the Queen and Prince Philip.

Prince Harry said in his interview segment with James Corden on The Late Late Show on February 25 that he and Meghan had video chatted with the Queen and his grandfather "a few times" and that he'd seen "Archie running around."

He also jokingly noted that Prince Philip had a habit of slamming his laptop shut to end calls, rather than officially hanging up.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not reveal much in their bombshell Oprah interview in March 2021 about their relationship with Prince Philip, but they did speak about their positive rapport with the Queen.

"I've spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have done for many, many years," Harry said, while Markle said the Queen "has always been wonderful to me."

Following the interview, the palace released a statement that the Queen would be addressing issues brought up during the interview, especially allegations of racism against a senior member of the royal family, in private.

"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," the palace said in a statement obtained by Insider. "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

Prince Philip was the longest-serving British consort in history.