Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for almost 74 years when he passed away in April 2021 and spent so much time together throughout that last year as they isolated at Windsor Castle during the pandemic. Despite living in the same residence, though, royal historian Hugo Vickers has suggested that the Queen “was not there” when her beloved husband died.
In an extract of his upcoming book, Queen Elizabeth II, published in the Mail on Sunday, Vickers alleges, “There had often been times in earlier days when she had asked the staff to let her know when Philip was leaving, only to be told ‘His Royal Highness left 20 minutes ago’.”
“She took the line, I was told, that she was ‘absolutely furious that, as so often in life, he left without saying goodbye’,” he adds, claiming that Philip “quietly slipped away”.
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This is a heart-breaking remark and it’s completely understandable that Queen Elizabeth would have wanted to be there to say a final farewell to her “strength and stay”. Vickers believes that if she’d “retreated into Queen Victoria-style mourning, it might have been hard for her, at nearly 95, to pick up the reins again”.
Instead, she “pressed on” and she led by example at her husband’s funeral by ensuring there were only 30 attendees in accordance with government guidelines. One of the most iconic and deeply poignant photos ever taken of the Queen depicted her alone and masked in a pew of St George’s Chapel during the service, with her closest family members spaced out around her.
The wreath laid on his coffin had a hand-written note from her nestled within it. It might not have been delivered in person before he died, but this could be seen as Queen Elizabeth’s goodbye to Philip and her exact words aren’t known, though it’s widely reported she signed it with her family nickname, Lilibet.
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Another deeply personal detail about their relationship that is still private is what Prince Philip had inscribed on the inside of his wife’s wedding band. Only three people knew the secret message according to royal expert Ingrid Seward.
In Prince Philip: Revealed, she writes, “[Queen Elizabeth] never takes it off and inside the ring is an inscription. No one knows what it says, other than the engraver, the Queen and her husband.”
When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 she was laid to rest beside Prince Philip, her sister Princess Margaret and her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Windsor. She once famously said that grief is the price we pay for love, and she and Philip were devoted to each other throughout the ups and downs of royal life.
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The Queen supposedly “taking the line” that she was “furious”, might have been her way of coping with the sadness of not being able to say goodbye and could also be seen as a sweet nod to his nature and habit of leaving home unannounced.
On her 95th birthday two weeks after his death, her message was primarily focused on her husband and how “touched” she was by people’s well-wishes.
“My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life,” she said.
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Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Philip