Prince Philip is a member of the Greek and Danish royal families, and his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth II is a member of the British royal family and is a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Therefore, they are both descendants of Queen Victoria and are distant cousins.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II first met in 1934 when she was only 8 years old and he was 13. They began exchanging letters when she was 13 years old and began seeing each other more frequently after World War II. They announced their engagement in July 1947 and were married on November 20 of the same year at Westminster Abbey in London.
At the time of their marriage, marrying a cousin was not unusual among European royalty. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, were also distant cousins. The practice of marrying within royal families was seen as a way to strengthen alliances and maintain power within the aristocracy.
However, in the modern era, marrying a close relative, such as a first cousin, is generally considered taboo and is illegal in many countries. This is because close relatives share a higher percentage of their DNA, which increases the risk of genetic disorders in their offspring.
It’s important to note that while Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are distant cousins, they are not closely related in terms of their genetics. They share a common ancestor, Queen Victoria, but this relationship is many generations removed and their level of genetic relatedness is not considered significant enough to pose a significant risk of genetic disorders.
In conclusion, Queen Elizabeth II did marry her third cousin, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. However, this was not considered unusual or controversial at the time of their marriage, as marrying within royal families was a common practice. While marrying close relatives is generally taboo in the modern era due to the increased risk of genetic disorders, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are not closely related in terms of their genetics, and their relationship is not considered to pose a significant risk.