The late Queen was once overheard bickering with her husband Prince Philip during a prolonged stay at Windsor Castle – and she had the best response to shut him down
The late Queen and Prince Philip (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
The late Queen and Prince Philip had a remarkable love story. The couple met when the young princess was just 13 – and their relationship eventually evolved into a 73-year marriage that lasted until his dying day. But they were known to occasionally bicker – and one standout squabble took place while the couple were shielding together at Windsor Castle during the pandemic.
A royal aide later shared details of the incident, including the quick way the Queen completely shut her husband down. The palace aide recalled how he was called in to wait on the couple because of staff shortages caused by the pandemic.
The royal couple were married from 1947 until Philip’s death in 2021(Image: Getty Images)
He told the Daily Mail: “They bickered with one another. It was sweet but so unexpected. On one occasion I heard the duke say, ‘Oh, do shut up, you silly woman’, and the Queen replied, ‘I am not a silly woman, I am the Queen’. I couldn’t believe my ears but I was told this was how they always were with one another.”
The Queen and her husband built an unbreakable bond over the course of their marriage, with the pair having both their shared passions as well as their differences.
Although they both shared a love for the outdoors and horses, Prince Philip had a more daring personality, whereas the Queen was thought to be more reserved.
And while Prince Philip was known for making controversial quips on occasion, the Queen reportedly never held back from putting him in his place.
The late Queen and Prince Philip were married for more than 70 years (Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
The Duke reportedly recalled his first meeting with then-Princess Elizabeth saying: “You were so shy. I couldn’t get a word out of you.” But all that changed over time, with the Queen’s former private secretary Lord Charteris previously admitting: “It is not unknown for the Queen to tell the Duke to shut up.”
Royal author Susan Crossland, who accompanied Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh during their 1976 tour to the US, also revealed the Queen asked her husband to be silent due to her frustration at something he was saying.
Over the course of his life, the Duke became renowned for his witty one-liners – and sometimes unconventional behaviour. His reputation for plain speaking often led to controversy, while his undiplomatic language landed him in hot water on more than one occasion.
During a toast to the Queen at a lunch celebrating their golden wedding anniversary back in 1997, Prince Philip admitted: “I think the main lesson we have learnt is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient in any happy marriage.
“It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when the going gets difficult. You can take it from me, the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.”
