Elizabeth & Philip

A Story of Young Love, Marriage, and Monarchy

Tessa Dunlop

This deeply moving story explores the attractions—and the tensions—that defined the most extraordinary royal marriage of the past seventy-five years.

She was peaches-and-cream innocence; he was a handsome war hero. Both had royal blood coursing through their veins. The marriage of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in November 1947 is remembered as the beginning of an extraordinary lifelong union, but their success was not guaranteed. Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage, and Monarchy plunges the reader back into 1940s Britain, where a teenage princess fell in love with a foreign prince. There were fears of a flirtatious "Greek" fortune hunter stealing off with England's crown jewels—and then subsequent efforts by the Establishment to reframe Philip as the perfect fit for Britain's most famous family.

Drawing on original archives as well as interviews with Elizabeth and Philip's contemporaries who are still alive today, historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop discovers a post-war world on the cusp of major change.

Unprecedented opinion on Philip's suitability was a harbinger of pressures to come for a couple whose marriage was branded the ultimate global fairytale. Theirs was a partnership like no other. Six years after Elizabeth promised to be an obedient wife, Philip got down on bended knee and committed himself as the queen's "liege man of life and limb."

This deeply touching history explores the ups and downs, as well as the attractions and the tensions, that defined an extraordinary relationship. The high stakes involved might have devoured a less committed pair—but not Elizabeth and Philip. They shared a common purpose, one higher even than marriage, with roots much deeper than young love. Happy and glorious, for better or for worse, they were heavily invested in a God-given mission. Monarchy was the magic word.

Dr. Tessa Dunlop is an acclaimed author (London Sunday Times bestseller The Century Girls and The Bletchley Girls) and Royal Television Society awarded broadcaster. She was a presenter on the BBC's BAFTA-winning series Coast, appears on numerous history documentaries and talk shows, and writes for the The Daily Mail. This is her first book to be published in the United States. Tessa lives in London.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"In Elizabeth & Philip, Tessa Dunlop flips the fantasy on its head as she tells the story of a princess who meets the prince of her dreams and conquers all opposition to place him beside her on the throne. While this Windsor romance is an oft-told tale, Dunlop winkles out some new details and angles to refresh the story. Her cleverest ploy comes in interviews with a handful of contemporaries of the late Queen." Air Mail

"British historian Dunlop makes her U.S. debut with a detailed portrait of the courtship, wedding, and early royal years of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Royal-watchers will likely appreciate Dunlop’s fresh details and unique perspective on this iconic couple." Library Journal

"A charming double portrait of Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the early years of their romance and marriage. Enriched by interviews with ordinary Britons of the royal couple’s generation, it’s a poignant and well-documented study of a couple whose 'matter-of-fact style' and 'extraordinary work ethic' were a balm for their nation. Royal watchers will be pleased." Publishers Weekly

Praise for Tessa Dunlop’s The Bletchley Girls:

"Lively. In giving us the daily details of their lives in the women's own voices, Dunlop does them and us a fine service." The New Statesman

"Dunlop is engaging in her personal approach. Her obvious feminine empathy with the venerable ladies she spoke to gives her book an immediacy and intimacy." The Daily Mail

"An in-depth picture of life in Britain's wartime intelligence center. The result is fascinating, and is made all the more touching by the developing friendships between Dunlop and her interviewees." The Financial Times

"The fifteen extraordinary women interviewed for this book came from backgrounds as diverse as debutantes and factory workers. It's an engrossing read that captures their wildly different experiences." Choice Magazine

"Tessa Dunlop's The Bletchley Girls tells the story of 15 female veterans of 'Station X', all of whom Dunlop has interviewed at length." The Guardian

"By spending time with these fascinating women, Tessa Dunlop captures their extraordinary stories of life at Bletchley Park." The Daily Telegraph