ROYALSQueen Elizabeth II Left Handwritten Note To Prince Philip On His Coffin — Inside The Final Goodbye
April 17 2021, Published 4:58 p.m. ET
It was a sad bookend to an epic marriage. As Queen Elizabeth II said goodbye to Prince Philip on Saturday, April 17, she left a heartbreaking note on his coffin at St. George's Chapel.
The couple, who had been married for 73 years, were communicating the old-fashioned way when they first met — with handwritten letters. The Queen signed her goodbye on her personal stationary with the nickname "Lilibet," a name she was given affectionately as a child. Her note included the words, "I love you." Prince Philip was one of the last people to call her by the adorable moniker.
As previously reported by OK!, Elizabeth first met her prince when she was just 8 years old. She and Philip, who was a 13-year-old prince of Greece and Denmark, were both guests at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent.
On November 20, 1947, the royals married at Westminster Abbey; Elizabeth wore an ivory silk gown decorated with 10,000 seed pearls. (Because of postwar austerity measures, she had to save her ration coupons to pay for the fabric of her dress.)
Throughout the funeral, the Queen had to sit by herself due to COVID-19 restrictions. She took a moment to pause and look back at her husband's coffin before entering St. George's Chapel.
One day prior to the funeral, the Queen posted a throwback pic of herself and her dapper husband.
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"The Queen wishes to share this private photograph taken with The Duke of Edinburgh at the top of the Coyles of Muick, Scotland in 2003," said the caption accompanying the sweet photo of the royals in the grass.
It went on to read: "Her Majesty and the Royal Family are grateful for all the messages of condolence from around the world and have been touched to see and hear so many people sharing fond memories of The Duke, in celebration of his life."
A former aide spoke of where Queen Elizabeth will go from here. "Her family will step up and be by her side, but she will carry on," they said. "She understands that she has a job to do, and [Philip] would have wanted her to crack on. She did do so when he retired from public life."
"A royal insider added that she will never abdicate because of duty and honor and public service is so deep in her, as it was for him."
