Their relationship wasn’t to last, however, and once Philip had spent time at Windsor Castle and set his sights on the young Princess Elizabeth, Osla and he went their separate ways, although they remained friends and Philip later became a godfather to Osla’s son.

It may well be that the thought of marriage to Princess Elizabeth did not enter Philip’s head at that time, but the subject was not far from other people’s thoughts. In London in March 1944, Princess Alexandra married King Peter of Yugoslavia and King George VI was Peter’s best man. King George II of Greece gave the bride away and took the opportunity to raise the subject of Philip and Lilibet with the King. George VI admitted he was not happy with the idea as she was far too young. She was not yet eighteen and Philip was only twenty-two. The King promised to consider the matter, but soon he advised George of Greece that ‘Philip had better not think any more about it for the present.’

After another visit to Windsor in July, Philip wrote to the Queen of ‘the simple enjoyment of family pleasures and amusements and the feeling that I am welcome to share them. I am afraid I am not capable of putting all this into the right words and I am certainly incapable of showing you the gratitude that I feel.’

Prince Philip became first lieutenant of a new destroyer HMS Whelp. While the construction of the new ship was being completed, Prince Philip was a frequent guest at Coppins, the home of his cousin Marina Duchess of Kent, whose husband had been tragically killed in a plane crash in Scotland in 1942. By the summer, tongues were wagging about a possible royal marriage. Socialite and Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire Sir Michael Duff reported to his cousin Lady Desborough: ‘The Duchess of Kent came to dinner bringing Prince Philip of Greece who is charming and I consider just right to perform the role of Consort for Princess Elizabeth. He has everything in his favour, he is good looking, intelligent, a good sailor and he speaks only English . . . I gather he goes to Windsor quite a lot. He is 24 and ripe for the job.’