06 MAR 2024
A tribute & memorial website to honour​ - Lord Louis MOUNTBATTEN, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
PRINCE PHILIP, 1st DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Page 3/6
On 10th July 1947, Buckingham Palace announced Philip's engagement to the Princess -
​
Buckingham Palace
July 10, 1947
​
It is with the greatest pleasure that The King and Queen announce the betrothal of their dearly beloved daughter, The Princess Elizabeth, to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, R.N., son of the late Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Andrew (Princess Alice of Battenberg), to which union The King has gladly given his consent.
​
An engagement photograph of
Princess Elizabeth
(later Queen Elizabeth II)
& Prince Philip in July 1947
On 11th November 1947, King George VI (1895(1936-1952) conferred upon Princess Elizabeth, the highest Order in his gift - The Most Noble Order of The Garter, appointing her a Royal Lady of the Order. The King also conferred 'The Garter' onto Philip as a Royal Knight on 19th November 1947 (on the eve of Philip's marriage), some 8 days later to ensure that his daughter's appointment would be senior to Philip's. In addition, Philip was also created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth & Baron Greenwich and granted the style of Royal Highness. The King wrote to his mother - Queen Mary (1867-1953) and said - "It is a great deal to give a man all at once, but I know Philip understands his new responsibilities on his marriage to Lilibet." Later that night, Philip had his traditional 'stag night' dinner at the Dorchester Hotel, London. Lt-Cmdr Michael Parker (1920-2001), Philip's Private Secretary said of the dinner - "It was a great night. Everyone was in Naval evening dress. Mountbatten was the senior guest, alongside David Milford Haven... It was a very happy occasion. It was an evening of comrades. Philip was an orphan of sorts and we were family." Now officially styled 'His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh', Philip spent his last night of bachelorhood at Kensington Palace, the home of his maternal grandmother - The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (1863-1950). On returning to Kensington Palace, he lit his last cigarette, stubbed it out and said "that's the last one". He never smoked again!
ABOVE: A short film (limited audio) by Pathé
about the engagement of Prince Philip and
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)
​
RIGHT: Prince Philip, with his uncle -
Mountbatten (right) at his 'stag night' dinner
at The Dorchester Hotel, London
​
​
A photograph inside Westminster Abbey during the wedding of
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Prince Philip, 1st Duke of Edinburgh
​
Philip married Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II (1926(1952-2022) at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947, in the first gathering of European Royals since World War II. Philip's elevation back to being a Royal Highness and his new Dukedom came too late for the printers and so Philip was referred to as 'Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, RN' in the Order of Service. Most of Philip's closest family members were excluded from the ceremony and were not invited due to their connections to Nazi Germany - it was deemed too soon after the War to invite them to such a public event. The ceremony was conducted by The Most Rev & Rt Hon. Geoffrey Fisher, later The Lord Fisher of Lambeth (1887-1972), Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by The Most Rev & Rt Hon. Cyril Garbett (1875-1955), Archbishop of York.
​
Philip wore the uniform of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy with two orders - the star of The Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG) and the star of a Knight Grand Cross of The Order of the Redeemer (GCR) from Greece. Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979), cost £1,200 and the material was obtained using ration coupons. The dress was made of soft Damascus Prokar ivory silk, with a high neckline, tailored bodice, thousands of pearls arranged as white roses of York, entwined with ears of corn embroidered in crystal, with a short 13ft train. The Princess also wore Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara, made in 1919, which Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002) loaned to her daughter as her 'something borrowed'. The same tiara was worn by Princess Anne (b.1950) for her 1973 wedding to Captain Mark Phillips (b.1948).
​
ABOVE: The insignia of a Knight Grand Cross
of the Order of the Redeemer (GCR) -
the breast star of which he wore
on his uniform under the Garter
​
RIGHT: Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)
& Prince Philip - The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh
leaving Westminster Abbey following their wedding
​
​
A short film from British Movietone about the wedding
of Prince Philip & Princess Elizabeth
(later Queen Elizabeth II)
​
​
The best man was -
​
-
David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (1919-1970) - cousin of the groom (the eldest son of the 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, formerly Prince George of Battenberg)
​
The eight bridesmaids were -
​
-
HRH The Princess Margaret, later Countess of Snowdon (1930-2002) - sister of the bride (daughter of King George VI (1895(1936-1952) & The Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon)
​
-
HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent, later The Hon. Lady Ogilvy (b.1936) - cousin of the bride (daughter of Prince George, 1st Duke of Kent & Princess Marina of Greece & Denmark)
​
-
The Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, later Lady Gilmour of Craigmillar (1927-2004) (daughter of the 8th Duke of Buccleuch and niece of The Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, later Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester)
​
-
The Lady Mary Cambridge, later Lady Mary Whitley (1924-1999) - second cousin of the bride (daughter of the 2nd Marquess of Cambridge, formerly Prince George of Teck)
​
-
The Lady Elizabeth Lambart, later Longman (1924-2016) - (daughter of Field Marshal the 10th Earl of Cavan)
-
The Hon. (later The Lady) Pamela Mountbatten, later Hicks (b.1929) - first cousin of the groom (daughter of Mountbatten)
​
-
The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone, later Mrs Denys Rhodes (1925-2016) - first cousin of the bride (daughter of the 16th Lord Elphinstone)
​
-
Miss Diana Bowes Lyon (1923-1986) - first cousin of the bride (daughter of The Hon. John 'Jock' Bowes Lyon, brother of The Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother)
​
The pages were -
​
-
HRH Prince William of Gloucester (1941-1972) - first cousin of the bride (son of HRH Prince Henry, 1st Duke of Gloucester & The Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott)
​
-
HRH Prince Michael of Kent (b.1942) - first cousin of the bride (son of Prince George, 1st Duke of Kent & Princess Marina of Greece & Denmark)
​
​
ABOVE: Prince Philip,
leaving Kensington Palace
on the morning of his wedding to
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)
​
BELOW: The souvenir brochure with
the Order of Service of the wedding of
Prince Philip, 1st Duke of Edinburgh to
Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II)
​
​
ABOVE: The four-tiered
wedding cake for the wedding of
Prince Philip & Princess Elizabeth
(later Queen Elizabeth II),
- The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh
BELOW: Princess Elizabeth
(later Queen Elizabeth II)
& Prince Philip, 1st Duke of Edinburgh
on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
following their wedding in November 1947
​
After the reception at Buckingham Palace, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh left for Waterloo Station and boarded a train for Romsey, Hampshire to spend the first part of their honeymoon at Mountbatten's home - Broadlands. After five days, the couple returned to London for lunch with King George VI (1895(1936-1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002) at Buckingham Palace en route to tw0 further weeks at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate in Scotland.
​
ABOVE & BELOW:
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)
& Prince Philip, 1st Duke of Edinburgh -
the new Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh
at the Mountbatten's home - Broadlands
whilst on their honeymoon
​
