The Sunday Star (September 8, 1946)
Denial of Elizabeth’s betrothal to Greek fails to stop rumors
Prince Philip, cousin of King George II, may become fiance
LONDON, Sept. 7 (AP) – Rumors of a romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece spread across the realm tonight despite official denials, and Britons began sizing up the handsome young royal naval officer as a potential prince consort for Britain’s next queen.
Court circles said the prince was one of Elizabeth’s “circle of friends,” and now a guest of the royal family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. But they denied that he and the 20-year-old heiress presumptive were engaged to marry.
A flood of rumors was started by the London Star’s report, of an impending announcement of an engagement. But Sir Alan Lascelles, private secretary to the king, issued a statement declaring:
“Princess Elizabeth is not engaged to be married. The report published is incorrect.”
Royal Navy lieutenant
The Star, saying the engagement would be announced to the nation at a “time considered suitable by the king and his advisers,” added that “until then Buckingham Palace will continue officially to ‘know nothing’ of the romance.”
Prince Philip, a cousin of Greek King George II, is 25 and a British Royal Navy lieutenant.
The Star said announcement of the engagement was “confidently expected in circles close to the royal family. Discussions among intimate friends of the princess and the prince are no longer concerned with the probability of a marriage. The main topic now is the date on which the announcement will be made.”
Princess Elizabeth’s name was linked with the prince’s more than a year ago. The Athens monarchist publication, Tellenicon Aema, hinted at the possibility of an engagement.
Prince Philip is the son of the late Prince Andrew and Princess Alice. Princess Alice was a relative of Adm. Lord Mountbatten, a cousin of British King George. The prince’s father and King Constantine, father of King George II of Greece, were brothers.
The prince has spent most of his life in England. He joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman and served on the battleship HMS Valiant at the battle of Matapan. He also was on Lord Mountbatten’s staff in South east Asia.
Parliament can override
He is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, the same faith as that of Princess Marina of the Greek royal family who was wed to the Duke of Kent in 1933. Princess Marina and the duke, who was killed in an airplane crash during the war, were married in two ceremonies – one Greek Orthodox and the other a Church of England service.
A Buckingham Palace informant said a marriage to Prince Philip was unlikely since members of the Greek royal house were Catholics. Britain’s constitution requires that the princess’ husband be a Protestant and the Royal Marriage Act of 1772 gives Parliament overriding power in a marriage of a member of the royal family.
If Princess Elizabeth is still under 25, she must have the consent of the king to marry and the marriage must be set out in a license register and entered in the books of the Privy Council. If she is over 25, the king’s consent is not necessary, but notice still must be given the Privy Council and a year must elapse before the marriage to give Parliament time to act.