Queen Elizabeth Just Honored Prince Philip’s 100th Birthday In the Sweetest Way
Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth lost her husband of more than 70 years when Prince Philip died at age 99. The royal family had several days of mourning, and even Prince Harry flew across the pond to attend his grandfather’s funeral.
Now, in honor of what would have been Philip’s centennial, the queen is remembering him in a sweet way.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for more than 70 years
When the queen met Philip, she was only a child. The two first ran into each other when the queen was eight years old, and of course nothing romantic came of the interaction, as Philip was 13. But fast forward to when the queen was 13, and she’d begun to pursue her future husband.
Philip was 18 at the time, but sparks flew. The couple began exchanging letters, and about eight years later, they were officially married. For years, Philip stood by the queen’s side, and although there were times when the marriage was hit with scandals, the couple’s relationship never faltered. They welcomed four children together, eight grandchildren, and at the time of Philip’s death, 10 great-grandchildren. (That number recently grew with the arrival of Lilibet Diana and will grow once more when Princess Beatrice and Eduardo Mopelli Mozzi welcome their baby.)
The queen is honoring Prince Philip’s 100th birthday with a rose
Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, at Windsor Castle. He’d undergone surgery in the months before his death, and spent about a month in the hospital over the winter. His death launched an eight-day mourning period for the royal family; Philip’s funeral was held on the last day.
June 10 would have been Philip’s 100th birthday, and the queen certainly hasn’t stopped celebrating her husband’s life. In his memory, the queen was gifted a Duke of Edinburgh rose, named by the Royal Horticultural Society. The plant will grow into a rose shrub and was planted outside of Windsor Castle, where Philip died. Philip also helped redesign the Windsor Castle gardens several years back.
According to Instagram, the queen joined the Royal Horticultural Society in planting the shrub in her husband’s remembrance. The society is also selling the shrub, and for each rose shrub sold, a donation will be made to Philip’s Award Living Legacy fund.
Queen Elizabeth has dealt with her husband’s death professionally
The queen has never stepped away from her royal duties, even after her husband passed. While she mourned his death, she still followed royal tradition in the eight-day mourning period followed by his funeral.
The queen has since continued to meet her royal expectations after losing her husband. Prince Philip retired from the spotlight back in 2017, so the queen has grown used to attending royal engagements on her own.
Though the queen doesn’t travel much anymore, she did attend the maiden voyage of a new Navy ship in May, the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The queen also celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in early June.
