Before Prince Philip became Queen Elizabeth II’s husband and closest confidant, another aristocratic bachelor was reportedly being quietly considered as a future Prince Consort.
New claims from a royal historian suggest the Queen Mother had a very different match in mind for her eldest daughter long before Elizabeth set her sights on Philip. As royal love stories go, this one comes with a surprising “what if?”
According to a royal author, Queen Elizabeth had another suitor other than Prince Philip
Royal historian Hugo Vickers, author of “Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History,” recently revealed that Hugh, Earl of Euston, who later became the 11th Duke of Grafton and was viewed as a potential match for the future queen during World War II.
“The Queen Mother was very keen that [her daughter] should marry a Grenadier Guard,” Vickers told Fox News Digital.
According to the historian, the Grenadier Guards were considered among the most prestigious military officers in Britain. Moreover, the Queen Mother reportedly hoped one of them would catch Princess Elizabeth’s eye. Hugh fit the bill.
Vickers claimed that while Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret spent much of the war years at Windsor Castle, several Grenadier Guards were stationed nearby. During that period, Hugh emerged as a possible suitor.
“She would have loved her to marry Lord Euston,” Vickers told the outlet. “I think it was slightly in the cards at one point.” The idea apparently never gained real momentum. Vickers suggested that Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s influential uncle, helped steer events in another direction by securing Hugh a position in India, effectively removing him from the picture.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s feelings for Philip only grew stronger.
Several royal experts noted that Philip was not initially embraced by everyone within royal circles. His foreign background, limited finances, and outspoken personality reportedly raised concerns among courtiers and even members of the royal family.
Still, Elizabeth remained committed. British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that the future queen became smitten with Philip after meeting him as a teenager and refused to consider other possibilities.
Their engagement was officially announced in 1947, and the couple married later that year.
History, of course, took its own course. Philip went on to spend more than seven decades at Elizabeth’s side, becoming one of the longest-serving royal consorts in British history. And while another name may once have appeared on the Queen Mother’s wishlist, it was Prince Philip who ultimately won Queen Elizabeth’s heart.
