When questioned on matters outside of the constitution, the Queen is said to have regularly asked for Philip’s input in a move that shows the strong affection held between the pair held as they approach their latest milestone.

Courtiers detailed that the Queen usually says: “What does Philip think?”

One said: “There is a lot that comes across her desk.

“She is not the sort to zero in and peel the skin of the onion away until you get to the heart of it.”

Martin Charteris, an advisor to Elizabeth II previously offered a rare glimpse into the playful nature of the monarchy’s relationship.

He stated: “Prince Philip is the only man in the world who treats the Queen simply as another human being.

“And of course, it’s not unknown for the Queen to tell Prince Philip to shut up.

“Because she’s the Queen, that’s not something she can easily say to anybody else.”

A member of the Palace communications office, Simon Lewis, recalled in 1998 that “my abiding impression was how remarkably open they were”.

He added: “By the interaction between the two of them, how comfortable and easy they were, and how they had both thought about this role together.”

Twenty years ago the Queen hailed the Duke of Edinburgh for his “quality of tolerance in abundance” in maintaining a relationship, a trait that has surely paid dividends in helping the couple approach the seventh decade of marriage.

The Queen and Prince Prince are set to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Monday.

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, as they were then known, got married at Westminster Abby on November 20, 1947.

The Queen and Prince Philip remain devoted to each other and have the longest marriage in the history of the British monarchy.

The royal couple have lived through enormous social change, leaps forward in technology and the decline of British influence over Commonwealth nations.

Back in 1947, Britain was still recovering from the horrors of the Second World War which ended in 1945.

Times were hard for Britons and even the Queen had to use ration coupons to purchase material for her wedding dress.

For everyone who saw Prince William and Kate’s wedding on television, it is hard to imagine a time when everyone listened to the radio.

The marriage of ceremony was broadcast on radio to 200 million listeners worldwide. The photographs of the wedding are all black and white.

In another sign of the times, more than 10,000 telegrams of congratulations were sent from around the world.

At the time of their marriage the Commonwealth was already breaking up and India had gained independence a few months before on August 1947.