A love story Romance grows between the Princess and the gallant naval cadet Philip

Joy amid gloom of grey skies and a general strike as a baby girl is born

IT was at the wedding in 1934 of Prince Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece, to the Duke of Kent, Princess Elizabeth's uncle, that the future Queen first met her dashing third cousin.

Five years after that first encounter with Philip, Princess Elizabeth met him again, this time on a visit to Dartmouth Naval College aboard the royal yacht.

The young princesses were assigned the dashing naval cadet Philip Mountbatten to look after them. Elizabeth, just 13 years old, was immediately smitten.

Philip took her to play croquet and to the tennis courts to have "some real fun jumping over the nets". His boldness, not to mention his looks, made a lasting impression on the young princess.

War with Germany was declared, and in 1940, a few months after Elizabeth and Philip's meeting, Philip was sent to sea. The young officer was assigned to Valiant, a battleship that would soon see action in the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were evacuated to Windsor Castle for their own safety. On the

King's orders, no member of the Royal Family would leave their post, because it would send out the wrong message to their nervous people. Elizabeth was keen to do her bit for the war effort, too.