• Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, saluting as he resumes his attendance at the Royal Naval Officers School in 1947. Getty Images
    Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, saluting as he resumes his attendance at the Royal Naval Officers School in 1947. Getty Images
  • Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, batting at the nets during cricket practice while in the Royal Navy in 1947. Getty Images
    Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, batting at the nets during cricket practice while in the Royal Navy in 1947. Getty Images
  • Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace shortly before their wedding in 1947. Getty Images
    Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace shortly before their wedding in 1947. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, on their wedding day in 1947. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, on their wedding day in 1947. Getty Images
  • Crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace on the wedding day. Getty Images
    Crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace on the wedding day. Getty Images
  • Members of the British royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten. Getty Images
    Members of the British royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten. Getty Images
  • The marriage register of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, bearing the signatures of Philip and Elizabeth, the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family. Getty Images
    The marriage register of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, bearing the signatures of Philip and Elizabeth, the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family. Getty Images
  • Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret Rose, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip walking through streets on their way to wedding of Patricia Mountbatten to Baron Brabour. Getty Images
    Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret Rose, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip walking through streets on their way to wedding of Patricia Mountbatten to Baron Brabour. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth talking to Prince Philip (second right), the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth talking to Prince Philip (second right), the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England. Getty Images
  • Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, circa 1952. Getty Images
    Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, circa 1952. Getty Images
  • Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne following her christening, at Buckingham Palace in 1950. Getty Images
    Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne following her christening, at Buckingham Palace in 1950. Getty Images
  • US President Eisenhower (centre) with the British Royal family: Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Captain John Eisenhower, at Balmoral Castle in 1959. Getty Images
    US President Eisenhower (centre) with the British Royal family: Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Captain John Eisenhower, at Balmoral Castle in 1959. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their three children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew in Balmoral on September 8, 1960.
    Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their three children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew in Balmoral on September 8, 1960.
  • Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip leave Manchester by train in 1961. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip leave Manchester by train in 1961. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip presenting the Jules Rimet trophy to the England captain, Bobby Moore, after the teams World Cup final victory over West Germany in 1966. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip presenting the Jules Rimet trophy to the England captain, Bobby Moore, after the teams World Cup final victory over West Germany in 1966. Getty Images
  • Prince Charles wearing a crown and robes after a ceremony where he was invested as the Prince of Wales, with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Caernarvon Castle, Wales, in 1969. Getty Images
    Prince Charles wearing a crown and robes after a ceremony where he was invested as the Prince of Wales, with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Caernarvon Castle, Wales, in 1969. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during the Royal Progress trip via boat down the River Thames to mark the Silver Jubilee in 1977. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during the Royal Progress trip via boat down the River Thames to mark the Silver Jubilee in 1977. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh entertain Sheikh Zayed on board the Royal Yacht Britannia during their State Visit in 1979. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh entertain Sheikh Zayed on board the Royal Yacht Britannia during their State Visit in 1979. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
  • Pope John Paul II with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during a Royal Tour of Italy in 1980. Getty Images
    Pope John Paul II with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during a Royal Tour of Italy in 1980. Getty Images
  • The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981. Behind them are Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Getty Images
    The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981. Behind them are Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Getty Images
  • Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after their marriage ceremony in 1981. Getty Images
    Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after their marriage ceremony in 1981. Getty Images
  • Princess Diana holds her son Prince William in her arms in Buckingham Palace with Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Prince was christened in 1982. Getty Images
    Princess Diana holds her son Prince William in her arms in Buckingham Palace with Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Prince was christened in 1982. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip appear with The Queen Mother during celebrations to mark her 101st in 2001. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip appear with The Queen Mother during celebrations to mark her 101st in 2001. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State Carriage at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State Carriage at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth smiles at the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Philip look on after attending the Trooping of the Colour in 2003. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth smiles at the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Philip look on after attending the Trooping of the Colour in 2003. Getty Images
  • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2008, in Ascot, England. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2008, in Ascot, England. Getty Images
  • The Sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, presents Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II with a gold musical Faberge style egg as Prince Philip watches on at the royal palace in Oman.
    The Sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, presents Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II with a gold musical Faberge style egg as Prince Philip watches on at the royal palace in Oman.
  • Queen Elizabeth II holding the hand of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as she arrives to address to the House of Lords, during the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster. EPA
    Queen Elizabeth II holding the hand of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as she arrives to address to the House of Lords, during the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster. EPA
  • Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) and her husband Prince Philip (R) stand next to the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan during a Ceremonial Welcome in the town of Windsor, west of London, on April 30, 2013. AFP
    Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) and her husband Prince Philip (R) stand next to the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan during a Ceremonial Welcome in the town of Windsor, west of London, on April 30, 2013. AFP
  • Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks to Prince Philip on the Queen's Stand during the Epsom Derby Day on Saturday, 2014. EPA
    Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks to Prince Philip on the Queen's Stand during the Epsom Derby Day on Saturday, 2014. EPA
  • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh look at their homemade wedding anniversary card, given to them by their great grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle ahead of their 73rd wedding anniversary. Getty Images
    Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh look at their homemade wedding anniversary card, given to them by their great grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle ahead of their 73rd wedding anniversary. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth marks first wedding anniversary without Prince Philip


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Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Saturday spent her first wedding anniversary without late husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

The milestone, seven months after Prince Philip died at the age of 99, would have seen the royal couple celebrate 74 years of marriage.

It is also a month since the Queen was admitted to hospital overnight for preliminary investigations and ordered by her royal doctors to rest.

The 95-year-old, who also sprained her back and pulled out of attending the Remembrance Sunday service, has only been carrying out light duties since her October 20 hospital stay, including a face-to-face audience this week with the outgoing military chief General Sir Nick Carter.

Princess Elizabeth married the dashing Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.

Their enduring relationship lasted the longest of any British sovereign and Prince Philip was at the Queen's side throughout the decades, supporting her as she devoted herself to her role as head of state.

Following his death in April, the Queen said she and her family were in a "period of great sadness", but that she was comforted by the tributes paid to him.

"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.

Prince Philip's funeral was held during coronavirus restrictions with the numbers strictly limited and the final farewell taking place entirely within the confines of Windsor Castle.

The Queen sat alone - socially distanced from her family - as she mourned.

Queen Elizabeth during the funeral service for Prince Philip in April. Photo: AP
Queen Elizabeth during the funeral service for Prince Philip in April. Photo: AP

In the days after the duke's death, the Palace released a picture from the royal family's private photo albums of the Queen and Prince Philip relaxing together, sitting on the grass at the Coyles of Muick, a beauty spot on the Balmoral estate.

Updated: November 20, 2021, 5:26 PM