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Queen Elizabeth’s royal rumour confirmed by unseen photo

A never-before-seen photo of Queen Elizabeth II has all but confirmed a long-standing rumour about her engagement to Prince Philip.

Released by Buckingham Palace, a number of unseen photos from the Queen's personal archive will be featured in a new BBC documentary, Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, being released later this month,

In one of the photos, the Queen is seen beaming at her engagement ring months before the announcement was made public.

Her Majesty met Prince Philip in 1939 when she was just 13 and he was 18.

In 1943, he was invited to spend Christmas with the royal family at Windsor.

It had been previously rumoured the couple were unofficially engaged in the summer of 1946 while staying at Balmoral, however they delayed the official announcement for months until after Princess Elizabeth reached the age of 21.

Queen Elizabeth II looks down at her ring following her engagement to Prince Philip.
Queen Elizabeth II is seen beaming at her engagement ring months before the official announcement. Source: BBC

The Queen and Prince Philip were married in 1947 and had a 73-year union before he died just months before his 100th birthday in April 2021.

The documentary, in honour of the Queen's upcoming Platinum Jubilee, obtained hundreds of homemade recordings created by her, Prince Philip and her parents.

It shows her life from when she was a young girl to her 1953 coronation.

Other rare moments will be featured in the documentary, including footage of the Queen with her uncle Prince George The Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash in 1942, and King George VI's last visit to Balmoral in 1951.

BBC's commissioning editor for history, Simon Young, said in a statement the documentary was an "extraordinary glimpse into a deeply personal side of the royal family that is rarely seen".

The Queen watches the Trooping the Colour event with Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Camilla, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The Queen has banned Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from the balcony during this year's Trooping the Colour event. Source: Getty

The Platinum Jubilee will begin on June 2, with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade in central London followed by a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, and a pageant through the British capital on subsequent days.

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The Queen however has banned Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The trio was expected to join Her Majesty for the traditional Trooping the Colour RAF flypast, however, "after careful consideration" they will now be excluded.

A Palace spokesperson said: "After careful consideration, the Queen has decided this year's traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd June will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen."

The announcement has been interpreted by many as a snub to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Andrew.

With AAP

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