At a Naval College Graduation ceremony, Prince William recalled the moment when a 13-year-old Queen Elizabeth first met Prince Philip.
On Thursday, 14 December, Prince William was back at the Royal Navy training college in Dartmouth, Devon to see and celebrate the latest cadets' graduation. He represented his father King Charles at the graduation - or "passing out" - ceremony at the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), where he saluted to the graduates as more than 100 Royal Navy Cadets and international colleagues marked their completion of the program before leaving for their military service.
At the ceremony, Prince William gave a speech to the graduates, recalling moments from his past post-graduation.
"It is a great honor for me, as Commodore-in-Chief Submarines, to be with you here in BRNC, representing His Majesty The King at Lord High Admiral’s Divisions," Prince William said in his speech to the graduates, according to People. "To put your minds at ease, I know all too well how cold it gets when standing still on an exposed parade ground, so my promise to you is that I shall keep this short!"
Then, Prince William divulged into some reasons why this ceremony is so special to him - including the tidbit that it was the exact place where a young Queen Elizabeth first met Prince Philip.
"Whilst my own Passing Out Parade was at Sandhurst, Britannia Royal Naval College still holds a very special place in my heart. It is well known that my grandmother and grandfather met here, while my great-grandfather King George VI was conducting these very duties," he started, continuing on about how a 13-year-old met an 18-year-old Prince Philip in that very space.
After Queen Elizabeth laid eyes on Philip, William said that she "never had eyes for anyone else," reportedly. Shortly following the Queen and the Prince's meeting, the pari began exchanging letters.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip got married on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey, following in tradition of all royal weddings. The wedding ceremony was broadcast on radio stations all around the world, as purveyors listened to the Prince and Queen exchange their vows and receive their new titles.
Prince William continued to thank the young men for their military service. "I fully appreciate that standing here in these beautiful and peaceful surroundings, the risks of leadership on the front line might seem a world away, but you will shortly be marching through these doors behind me because you are trained, and ready to take the next step on your journeys as Naval Officers," he said.
