In a corner were the biographies that had been written about him.And on a table by a window stood an array of family photographs in black and white.Lots of relatives, but no children, other than a big, misty colour portrait of the doughty Princess Annetaken shortly before she married for the first time, in the early 1970s.She was his favourite of the four children, the one most like him.His sons exasperated him, none more than the sensitive Charles whom he sent to Gordonstoun despite knowing he would be bullied.Marriage brought the young, rootless prince a home, a country, a passport, a new religion and the first real stability in his life.In return, the immigrant boy gave it his total support.Philip was the first of the senior peers to pay homage after the queen’s coronation at Westminster Abbey,where they had married just over five years earlier.“I Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship,” he promised,kneeling before her and placing his large hands between hers.“And faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of folks. So help me God.”Rising to his feet, he touched his fingers to her crown and kissed her on the cheek.
在一个角落里，放着别人写的关于他的传记。窗边的桌子上放着一组黑白家庭的照片。大多是一些亲戚的照片，不过没有孩子的照片，只有一张模糊的安妮公主的彩色肖像，拍摄于20世纪70年代初，也就是在安妮公主第一次结婚前不久拍摄的。她是四个孩子中最得菲利普亲王宠爱的，也是最像他的一个孩子。儿子们都不讨他的欢心，尤其是敏感的查尔斯王子。尽管知道会受欺负，他还是坚持把查尔斯王子送到了高仕德就读。婚姻给这位漂泊的年轻王子带来了一个家庭、一个国家、一本护照、一种新的宗教信仰，以及他人生中第一次真正的稳定生活。作为回报，这个移民男孩给予了自己全身心的支持。当女王在威斯敏斯特大教堂加冕后，菲利普是第一个表达效忠的王室贵族，五年前他们曾在这座大教堂里举行了婚礼。“我，爱丁堡公爵、菲利普亲王，作为您的家臣，将对您无限崇拜。”他跪在女王面前许下深情一诺，把他的大手放在她的双手之间。“要对您忠诚和坚贞，生死与共，并摒弃世俗行为。愿上帝保佑我。”他站起身来，用手指碰了碰她的王冠，吻了吻她的脸颊。
暂无注释
