Together they faced not only problems of state but also harsh personal circumstances that put the strength of their reign and their marriage to the test.
When fate, aided by the hand of Lord Mounbatten, brought together a young crown princess and a handsome Greek officer in the British navy , a new chapter began to be written to fill the last decades of the history of the United Kingdom. Isabel falls in love and is clear who she wants her husband to be.
Felipe , born prince of Greece and Denmark and distant cousin of the future queen, is not a good match nor did he seem the most suitable candidate for a marriage that the Royal Family does not see with good eyes. To achieve its acceptance, a series of renounces to his surname , long, unpronounceable and with clear Germanic references, to his orthodox religion and to his dynastic rights are imposed .
They would not be the only ones. Later another especially painful one would come: putting an end to his vocation as a sailor , when, on the death of King George, Elizabeth II acceded to the throne.
For the Duke of Edinburgh, a title he receives upon marriage, it was not easy to live in the shadow of his wife, the queen. The role of consort did not satisfy their aspirations, but it faithfully fulfilled in being their institutional support in the multiple crises they had to face in these years.
The scandals and divorces within the royal family that threatened on more than one occasion the foundations of the monarchy —Carlos, Diana and Camila—, then Prince Andrew and, in recent times, the Sussexes also strongly shaken family ties .
The Crown resisted. The family, bad than good, endured. Prince Felipe faithfully fulfilled the loyalty that was demanded of him and that legacy will remain in history.
Nearing his hundredth birthday and knowing how close to his end he was careful to make it clear how he wanted his farewell to be. A private wake at Windsor Castle and a military funeral. Neither state funeral nor burning chapel. Your wishes will be fulfilled.
