A Different Royal Path: The Man Who Could Have Been King Consort
Queen Elizabeth II, the beloved and longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, ultimately found her lifelong partner in Prince Philip. Their marriage, a cornerstone of royal history, took place in 1947. However, the union wasn’t without its contemporary complexities. Prince Philip, being of foreign birth, lacking significant personal wealth, and having family ties to Germany during a period of post-war sensitivity, presented a departure from the traditional expectations of a royal spouse.
But what if history had taken a different turn? It appears that the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, harboured ambitions for her daughter’s marital future that diverged significantly from the eventual path chosen. Rather than the dashing Greek prince, her sights were set on a different kind of gentleman entirely.
The Grenadier Guard Dream
According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the Queen Mother “may well have preferred an English aristocrat” for her daughter. This sentiment is echoed by historian Hugo Vickers, who revealed to a media outlet that the Queen Mother was “very keen that [her daughter] should marry a Grenadier Guard.”
Vickers elaborated on the prestige associated with this elite military corps: “And the Grenadier Guards [are] the most prestigious of all the British regiments. If you’re a Grenadier Guard, you are the top.” This suggests a desire for a consort who embodied a certain traditional, established, and quintessentially British ideal.
A Contender Emerges: Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton
During the tumultuous years of World War II, Queen Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, were largely sequestered at Windsor Castle for their safety. This period, while isolating, also presented opportunities for social interactions within the confines of the royal estate.
Hugo Vickers explained that a prominent figure who was considered a potential suitor for the young Princess Elizabeth was Hugh FitzRoy, the 11th Duke of Grafton. The historian noted that the castle was garrisoned by a significant number of Grenadier Guards, creating an environment where such connections could flourish. Princess Margaret herself reportedly described the castle as being surrounded by barbed wire, a measure intended not to keep out potential invaders, but rather to ensure the princesses remained safely within.
Vickers explained
Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton
, was seen as a main contender for the queen’s young heart before Philip was brought into the picture.
“Queen Elizabeth and [her sister]
Princess Margaret
, as young girls, were contained in Windsor Castle during the war,” he continued. “There were quite a number of Grenadier Guards stationed. And Princess Margaret used to say that the whole of the castle was surrounded by barbed wire, which wouldn’t have kept the Germans out, but certainly kept [them] in.”
Orchestrated Interventions and a Royal Match
The Queen Mother, it seems, actively sought to facilitate a union between Elizabeth and a Grenadier Guard, with Hugh FitzRoy being a favoured candidate. “With all of these Grenadier Guards around the place, the queen mother was very much hoping — she placed a number of Grenadier Guards, as it were, on Princess Elizabeth’s path,” Vickers stated. “She would have loved her to marry [FitzRoy]. I think it was slightly in the cards at one point, and that could have happened.”
However, the narrative of potential royal romance took a decisive turn thanks to the influence of Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s uncle. Mountbatten, a shrewd naval officer, played a pivotal role in ensuring his nephew’s path to the Queen was cleared. Vickers revealed that Mountbatten engineered a situation to remove FitzRoy from contention. He secured FitzRoy a position as Aide-de-Camp to the Viceroy of India, effectively orchestrating his departure from the United Kingdom and, by extension, from the orbit of the young Princess Elizabeth.
Vickers added: “With all of these Grenadier Guards around the place, the queen mother was very much hoping — she placed a number of Grenadier Guards, as it were, on Princess Elizabeth’s path. She would have loved her to marry [FitzRoy]. I think it was slightly in the cards at one point, and that could have happened.”
However, it was
Lord Mountbatten
, Philip’s uncle, who pushed FitzRoy out of the picture to make way for his nephew.
The naval officer scored FitzRoy a job as the Aide-de-Camp (also known as a secretary) to the Viceroy of India to “get him out of the way,” according to Vickers.
A Fateful Encounter and a Reign of Change
Prince Philip and the future Queen Elizabeth II first crossed paths in 1939 at the Britannia Royal Naval College. At the time, Philip was an 18-year-old cadet, and Elizabeth was a mere 13-year-old princess. Despite the age difference and the intervening years of war, their connection endured through correspondence.
Philip and the queen formally met at Britannia Royal Naval College in 1939, when he was an 18-year-old cadet and she was just a 13-year-old princess.
The pair exchanged letters over the years and married once World War II concluded. The Greek-born Philip was made a consort of the queen once she ascended to the throne in 1952 after her father,
King George VI
, died.
Following the conclusion of World War II, their relationship blossomed, culminating in their marriage. Upon Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne in 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI, Prince Philip, who was born in Greece, became her consort.
Ultimately, the historian Hugo Vickers believes that the marriage to Prince Philip was the superior choice. He described Philip as “a breath of fresh air” and highlighted his distinguished naval career during the war. Vickers concluded that Prince Philip “was bursting with ideas” and that the royal establishment’s fears that he would be a “modernizer” proved to be entirely accurate. This foresight would indeed shape the monarchy for decades to come.
