For the man who has everything: Queen gives Prince Phillip gift after 70 years together
THE Queen has awarded Prince Phillip with a special gift as the royal couple celebrates their 70th wedding anniversary today.
Her Majesty appointed The Duke of Edinburgh a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in a sweet gesture to mark the past seven decades years together.
A tweet from the official Royal Family account stated: "Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by The Queen, for services to the Sovereign."
The gesture will be likely seen as formal recognition of the devotion the Duke has shown through seven decades of marriage, supporting her publicly and privately.
Philip, 96, retired from his public role in the summer after years of royal duty alongside the monarch.
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He is the longest serving royal consort in British history, and the Queen, the nation's longest reigning monarch, is the first to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary.
Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen and bestowed independently of Downing Street.
The monarch presented Philip with the honour at Windsor Castle, where they are marking their anniversary privately.
They are celebrating with close family and friends at a special dinner at the Berkshire residence on Monday evening.
Philip is already a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG), a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (KT) and a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Now with his GCVO he will have four UK order of chivalry breast stars. The last UK citizen to equal this was his uncle Lord Mountbatten of Burma.
Philip also has many other honours including the Order of Merit (OM), Order of New Zealand (ONZ), and Knight, Order of Australia (AK).
Together, the Queen and Philip have celebrated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen's reign, and faced ups and downs over the years including the breakdown of three of their four children's marriages, and the backlash which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
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But their relationship has remained strong, today celebrating 70 years of marriage after saying their vows at Westminster Abbey on November 20 1947.
The fairy-tale royal wedding was a morale booster in the tough years that followed the Second World War and millions of people tuned in to listen to the ceremony on the wireless.
Bells at the historic Abbey in central London have rung out in tribute on Monday, with a full celebratory peal lasting around three hours and 20 minutes.
The Queen and Philip attended thanksgiving services at the Abbey to commemorate their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries, but this occasion is not being marked which such a service.
