Did Queen Elizabeth II Have Suitors Other Than Prince Philip Years Ago?

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip tied the knot on Nov. 20, 1947. The couple will be celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary this year.

On the online forum site Quora, royal fans discussed whether or not Her Majesty also had other suitors before the Duke of Edinburgh. The monarch is believed to have been smitten with Prince Philip after their first official meeting when she was just 13 years old.

Rhys Hoffman, an author, and a social advocate said that Prince Philip was deemed entirely unsuitable for the Queen back in the day. Even though he was a Prince of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip came from a family of exiles.

“The only serious contender to Prince Philip was Henry Herbert (later 7^th Earl of Caernarvon). His family owned the Highclere Estate (better known as the Downton Abbey),” he said.

Her Majesty also became good friends with Lord Porchester, and two remained lifelong friends. The Queen called him Porchie, which was an affectionate nickname in reference to his then-title.

Elizabeth Davies, a graduate from the University of Liverpool, claimed that the Queen’s father, King George VI, tried to entice his daughter away from Prince Philip after she made up her mind on him at such an early age.

“So the King then took her off on an extended trip to South Africa, hoping Philip would wander off in the meantime. That didn’t work either; so the engagement was announced,” she said.

Dan Abraham Erlich, the president, owner, and founder of Avian Technologies Limited, said that the Queen only had the eyes for Prince Philip. This means that no one could have had the chance to court her, and there’s also no record of anyone attempting to do so.

The Queen and Prince Philip still attend some royal engagements together but they are reportedly living separation. Her Majesty is at the Buckingham Palace, while Prince Philip is in Sandringham.