The Queen and Prince Philip are celebrating their seventieth wedding anniversary today — the most successful royal marriage in British Royal history.

To mark the milestone, the Palace has released four official portraits. British photographer Matt Holyoak took the portraits earlier this month. Three were taken with a platinum-textured backdrop, and the last one was taken in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.

The cream Angela Kelly dress Her Majesty is wearing was also worn ten years ago at a service marking her diamond wedding anniversary. She also has on her brooch that Philip gave her as a personal gift in 1966.

In the fourth photo, you can see the paintings of The Queen's great-great-great-great grandfather King George III on the left, and his wife Queen Charlotte on the right. George and Charlotte only met on their wedding day and were married for 57 years until Charlotte died in 1818. She was the second-longest reigning consort in British history after Prince Philip.

The Queen and Prince Philip are celebrating their platinum anniversary privately with their family at a private dinner party in the State Apartments at Windsor Castle this evening.

Elizabeth and Philip met at a wedding in 1934 and at the coronation of King George VI in 1937. But it wasn’t until the King took his daughters to visit the Royal Navy College, Dartmouth, in 1939 that they really became acquainted and made an impression on one another. Elizabeth was 13 and Philip was 18.

The couple kept in contact over the years through writing letters. In 1946, Philip asked King George VI for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, and he agreed, although he wanted them to wait until Elizabeth turned 21. The engagement was announced in July the following year.

They were married at Westminster Abbey on the 20th of November, 1947.

Wishing the couple a very happy wedding anniversary! I love