The villa Guardamangia had a staff of nineteen and Elizabeth usually had her lady-in-waiting and detective in tow. A governor’s ball was held in her honour and she was soon called upon to perform civic duties, visiting schools and hospitals. Dickie Mountbatten wrote to his daughter Patricia in December: ‘Lilibet is quite enchanting and I’ve lost whatever of my heart is left to spare entirely to her. She dances quite divinely and always wants a samba when we dance together and has said some very nice things about my dancing.’ The princess made several trips to Malta, the longest being for eleven weeks, during which time baby Prince Charles was left behind with his grandparents, so the family was rarely in one place together. Mike Parker commuted regularly between Clarence House and Malta, keeping Philip up to date with his new interests at home, such as the National Playing Fields Association.

Prince Philip was in his element back on board ship. He was a strict disciplinarian and drove the crew hard in any sporting contests. In off-duty moments, he took up polo and soon became proficient, playing on the same team as his uncle Dickie. There was a minor blip in Philip’s naval progression when he failed an oral section of his command examination. It is thought that he had fallen foul of the examiner on the polo field, who took the opportunity to get even by failing Philip. According to Mike Parker, Philip’s commander-in-chief, Admiral Sir Arthur Power, wanted to overrule the examiner. Philip would have none of it, stating: ‘If they try to fix it I quit the navy for good.’ He re-sat the exam and passed with flying colours. Soon after, in July 1950, Philip was promoted to lieutenant-commander and appointed to his first command, the frigate HMS Magpie. Before he was piped aboard his new ship, Philip returned to Clarence House for the birth of his daughter Princess Anne the following month.

Philip made sure that his ship became the best in the fleet. He was tough and fair and it brought results. Magpie excelled at manoeuvres and carried off six of ten events in the annual regatta. As ‘cock o’ the fleet’, a red plywood rooster was hoisted aloft. Magpie’s tour of duty was a combination of naval exercises and ceremonial visits. In Gibraltar, he represented the King at the opening of their legislative council; Magpie sailed to Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Iran on courtesy visits. When Elizabeth had recovered from the birth of Princess Anne, she again flew out to Malta in November, leaving the children with their grandparents. As Magpie did not have suitable accommodation for Elizabeth, the Admiral of the Fleet put another vessel, HMS Surprise, at her disposal. With Philip on his own ship, there was much fun had with the exchange of signals, the best-known being:

Surprise to Magpie: Princess full of beans

Magpie to Surprise: Can’t you give her something better for breakfast?