Yes. She was.
Most people asking was Queen Elizabeth married are looking for the story of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. They were together for 73 years. That is a staggering amount of time to be married to anyone, let alone while running a literal monarchy. But honestly, it wasn't always a sure thing. If you look back at the archives from 1946, the "men in grey suits" at the palace—the courtiers and advisors—were actually pretty skeptical of the whole match.
Philip was a Prince of Greece and Denmark, but he was basically penniless. He had no kingdom. His family had been exiled. He was living on a Royal Navy salary. Some of the British establishment thought he was "rough, ill-mannered," and maybe even a bit too German for a post-World War II Britain. But Elizabeth didn't care. She had her eye on him since she was thirteen years old after meeting him at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. She was smitten.
The Wedding That Gave a Country Hope
They got married on November 20, 1947. You have to remember the context here. Britain was still recovering from the war. Food was rationed. Clothes were rationed. The Princess actually had to use clothing ration coupons to pay for the material for her wedding dress—a beautiful silk gown designed by Norman Hartnell. The government gave her an extra 200 coupons, which sounds like a lot, but for a royal wedding dress, it was tight.
Thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace. It was the first major celebration after years of darkness. It wasn't just a wedding; it was a signal that the world was moving on.
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Philip had to give up his Greek and Danish titles. He became a naturalized British subject and took the surname Mountbatten. Just before the wedding, King George VI gave him the title Duke of Edinburgh. From that moment on, his life changed forever. He went from being a rising star in the Navy to being "the man who walks two steps behind."
The Struggles of a Royal Marriage
People like to romanticize it, but the reality was often messy. When Elizabeth’s father died in 1952 and she became Queen at only 25, it put a massive strain on the marriage. Philip had to give up his naval career. He loved the sea. He was good at his job. Suddenly, he was a consort.
There was a big fight about the family name. Usually, children take the father’s name—Mountbatten. But the Queen’s advisors insisted the royal house remain the House of Windsor. Philip famously complained, "I am nothing but a bloody amoeba. I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children." It took years of arguing before they reached a compromise where their descendants who didn't hold royal titles would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
Staying Power in the Public Eye
The couple had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, rumors of Philip’s "unsettled" nature occasionally hit the tabloids. He went on a long tour on the royal yacht Britannia, and people whispered about a rift. There was never any proof of infidelity, but it’s no secret that Philip was a man who valued his independence.
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What kept them together? Common interests. They both loved the Great Outdoors. They spent weeks at Balmoral in Scotland, away from the cameras. They shared a specific, dry sense of humor. Philip was known for his "gaffes"—often saying things that were politically incorrect or just plain blunt. The Queen, who had to be perfectly neutral at all times, reportedly found his lack of filter refreshing. He was the only person in the world who could treat her like a normal human being.
Why the Question of Being Married Still Matters
The reason people still ask was Queen Elizabeth married with such curiosity is that their partnership defined an era. When Philip died in April 2021, the image of the Queen sitting alone at his funeral due to COVID-19 restrictions broke hearts globally. It was the first time in seven decades she was truly without her "strength and stay," as she famously called him during their Golden Wedding anniversary speech in 1997.
Philip was the modernizer. He was the one who pushed for the coronation to be televised. He wanted the monarchy to be accessible. While she was the symbol of tradition, he was the engine room.
Key Facts About the Union
- Duration: 73 years (1947–2021).
- Location: Westminster Abbey.
- The Ring: Made from a nugget of Welsh gold.
- The Secret: Philip supposedly had a message engraved inside the ring that only he and the Queen ever saw.
The marriage ended only with Philip’s death at age 99. Elizabeth followed him just over a year later. It remains the longest marriage of any British monarch in history.
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Historical Perspective on the Consort Role
In the British system, being the husband of a Queen is tricky. You have no constitutional power. You are a "Prince Consort" in practice, though Philip wasn't officially given that title until 1957. He had to carve out a role for himself, which he did through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and his work with the World Wildlife Fund.
If you're researching this for a project or just out of curiosity, it's worth looking into the letters they exchanged. While many are private, the few that have been released show a surprisingly tender side to a couple usually seen as stiff and formal. Philip once wrote to the Queen Mother, saying that "Lilibet" (the Queen's nickname) was the only thing in the world which was "absolutely real" to him.
Actionable Takeaways for History Buffs
If you want to understand the dynamics of this marriage better, you shouldn't just rely on fictionalized shows like The Crown. While entertaining, they dramatize conflicts for television.
- Visit Westminster Abbey: This is where they were married. The architecture and the history of the site provide a massive amount of context for the "state" nature of their wedding.
- Read "Elizabeth & Philip" by Gyles Brandreth: He was a friend of the Duke and provides one of the most accurate, non-sensationalized accounts of their partnership.
- Research the 1947 Wedding Gifts: People from all over the world sent gifts, including hand-knitted socks and food parcels, which highlights the global connection people felt to the couple.
- Watch the 1997 Anniversary Speech: This is the definitive source for the Queen's own feelings on her husband, where she publicly acknowledged his contribution to her reign.
Understanding the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II isn't just about a wedding; it's about understanding how the British monarchy survived the 20th century. Their partnership provided a bedrock of stability during a time when almost everything else in the British Empire was changing or falling apart.