Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

How the Queen and Prince Philip keep their marriage ALIVE even though they LIVE APART

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh have had a strong marriage for 71 years. But after 97-year-old Philip retired in 2017, he retreated to Wood Farm Cottage in the royal Sandringham estate, in Norfolk, even though the Queen’s official residence is still Buckingham Palace. A royal source told the Daily Mail the secret behind the royal couple keeping their marriage alive despite their distance is still seeing each other at some point in the week or weekends. 

The source said: “The Sandringham estate is away from the public eye and it’s so peaceful and such a beautiful location. 

“He also spends time at Windsor Castle (the Queen’s weekend home) and goes to Buckingham Palace on the odd occasion, like for Remembrance Day. 

“He very much enjoys Wood Farm, and he and the Queen still see each other at some point in the week or weekends.” 

The Queen, who is still working at the age of 92, reportedly misses her husband when she has to travel for work.

But he is now happy spending his time reading and painting after carrying out 22,219 solo engagements, giving 5,496 speeches and writing 14 books during career. 

One senior courtier said: “The Queen feels the Duke has earned a proper retirement.

“She knows him too well — if he was still at the centre of royal life he’d feel he had to be involved.”

The Queen also still has touching words to say about her husband. 

On their 50th anniversary in 1997, she said: “He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments. 

“But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I and his whole family, in this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim or we shall ever know.”

Meanwhile, Philip has also revealed their secret to a successful marriage is all about having “tolerance” and “different interests.”

The Duke also has plenty of time to see his wife over the Christmas period, as she stays at Sandringham until early February every year, before heading back to London. 

Jessica Ilse, a royal expert at Royal Central, also shared how the royals make the most of their time together at Christmas, particularly as Philip has the important role of saying when each member of the family can open their presents. 

Ms Ilse said to Express.co.uk: “I’d assume that he’s in charge of this because he’s the patriarch of the family. I know they open presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day, and that they buy inexpensive, jokey presents for each other instead of expensive trinkets. 

“They’re all laid out on a table in the Drawing Room at Sandringham, and they’re instructed on where to put presents for each person, and Prince Philip gives the go-ahead on when to open them. 

“I believe it’s around tea time. Christmas Day it’s church, dinner, and watching The Queen’s Christmas Speech in the afternoon. When the family is all together on Christmas Eve Day, the grandkids and great-grandkids help decorate the Christmas tree.”

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