| Screen grab from the Twitter page of @RoyalFamily of a message of congratulations to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary |
Royal messages of congratulation have been sent to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary.
The Queen, who is attending to royal duties in London on Wednesday as part of her working week, will be apart from Philip, who is spending much of his retirement on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, more than 100 miles away.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex marked the occasion on their SussexRoyal Instagram account with an archive photo of the young monarch and the duke arriving at Royal Ascot by carriage in 1956.
The post read: “Happy anniversary to Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh!
“On this day, seventy-two years ago, they were married at Westminster Abbey. Many congratulations!”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s social media account also shared images of the Queen and Philip from the past and present.
Their message read: “Wishing Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh a very happy 72nd Wedding Anniversary!”
The royal family’s official Twitter account also celebrated the rare achievement.
The Queen, now 93, was a 21-year-old princess when she married the dashing Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey on November 20 1947.
Princess Elizabeth was dressed in an ivory silk Norman Hartnell gown, decorated with 10,000 seed pearls, glittering crystals and an intricate 13ft (4m) star-patterned train, when she wed 26-year-old Philip, who was fresh from serving in the Royal Navy in the Second World War.
Their enduring relationship has lasted the longest of any British sovereign.
Philip, 98, who has now retired, was at the Queen’s side throughout the decades on royal duty.
REUTERS