The Queen marks 74th wedding anniversary without Prince Philip seven months after his death

THE Queen is today facing her first wedding anniversary without husband Prince Philip after his tragic death.

Her Majesty, 95, would be celebrating 74 years of marriage with the Duke of Edinburgh after they wed in 1947.

Today's tragic milestone comes seven months after Philip passed away aged 99.

The Queen sent a poignant message about the "passage of time" this week as she prepared to mark the day.

Addressing the opening session of the 11th General Synod of the Church of England, the Queen said: "It is hard to believe that it is over 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the very first meeting of the General Synod.

"None of us can slow the passage of time, and while we often focus on all that has changed in the intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ and his teachings."

The Queen was just 13 when she fell in love with Philip and began exchanging letters with her future husband.

They became secretly engaged in 1946 and Elizabeth's dad, King George VI, ordered any formal engagement was delayed until after his daughter's 21st birthday in April 1947.

The couple eventually wed on November 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey.

Their enduring marriage became the longest of any British sovereign - with Philip regularly by his wife's side as her "strength and stay".

🔵 Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest updates

Following his death in April, the monarch said she and her family were in a "period of great sadness" but were touched by tributes paid to him.

Buckingham Palace also released a heartbreaking picture of the couple relaxing together in Balmoral.

Philip was laid to rest in April in Windsor Castle as the Queen was seen sitting alone in silent mourning for her husband of more than 70 years.

Today's milestone comes as the Queen continues to recover from a sprained back that forced her to miss last week's Remembrance Sunday service.

She was recently advised to step back from official duties by medics after an overnight stay in hospital.

But the Queen was back to her normal duties when she met with General Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of the Defence Staff, at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

Prince Charles also admitted his mother would be struggling at her old age but was doing well.

When asked how the Queen was getting on, Charles replied: "She's all right thank you very much.

"Once you get to 95, it's not quite as easy as it used to be. It's bad enough at 73."