Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Are Proof That Opposites Attract
If you were selecting a couple who would be ideal to get marriage advice from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip would be it. The royal family matriarch and patriarch tied the knot in 1947 and their marriage has remained strong over the years after being tested by scandal, heartbreak, and long-distance, all while living in the spotlight.
Read on to find out how the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their relationship work despite several roadblocks, and why they are proof that opposites attract.
The queen and Prince Philip have lived apart for years
The queen and her husband don’t even need to live under the same roof to maintain a solid marriage.
In 2017, Philip retired from royal duties at the age of 96. Upon his retirement, the duke decided that he wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of London so he moved to Wood Farm Cottage located in Norfolk on the Sandringham estate.
“It is away from the public eye and it’s so peaceful and such a beautiful location,” a source said.
However, Queen Elizabeth stayed behind at Buckingham Palace since that’s the official working residence of the monarch.
When news that the royal couple was living apart first became public knowledge, palace aides insisted that the queen still made time for the prince and saw him often.
“[Philip] and the queen still see each other at some point in the week or weekends,” an insider told The Express. “They see each other depending on Her Majesty’s schedule, but she works around it to see him as much as possible.”
How they’ve made their marriage work despite being opposites
Being together for as long as they have also proves that opposites attract.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams spoke to The Express about just how different the queen and prince’s personalities are. He noted that Philip is a modernizer while his wife likes to keep with tradition and is not a fan of change.
“In contrast, the queen is conservative by nature and temperamentally resistant to change, this has made her ideally suited to rule as a constitutional monarch,” Fitzwilliams explained.
The royal commentator added that while the queen is always careful with her words, Prince Philip been known to voice his opinion and has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth.
“This was a marriage between temperamental opposites which has been notable, not just for its longevity, but for the marvelous mutual supportiveness that has characterized it,” Fitzwilliams said. “Philip has had two main aims, to support the queen and the institution of monarchy…In these, he has succeeded brilliantly though not without an idiosyncratic quality which has, on occasion, made him controversial.”
