It is 69 years since Prince Philip brought his wife, then Princess Elizabeth, to Kenya on a short trip for a brief break from their royal duties.
The couple was taking a break after standing in for George VI on a long international tour that took them to Australia and New Zealand since the King was too ill to travel.
It was in Kenya that the young Princess, who had been married for five years, became Queen.
Tucked away in the now-famous Treetops Hotel, about 165km from Nairobi, the two were relaxing viewing game in the secluded lodge.
It was at the lodge on February 6, 1952, that Prince Philip became the husband of a Queen, the head of a powerful empire that was waning as the majority of its colonies agitated for economic and political independence from Great Britain.
While the focus was not on him and has not been on him, his ability to play his role as the husband of the world’s possibly most powerful monarch has been remarkable.
Given the remote location of the lodge, news of the King’s death took time to reach the royal couple.
According to the BBC, the news was first dispatched to a senior courtier, who passed it to Princess Elizabeth’s private secretary and then on to Prince Philip’s aide.
It fell on Prince Philip to break the heartbreaking yet momentous news to the new Queen, that her father had died and the responsibility of ruling the British empire was hers.
This story has been re-written from an old story published by the BBC. To read the original BBC story, click here.
