The Queen and Prince Philip release official photograph to mark platinum wedding anniversary

A new photograph of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh has been released on the eve of their 70th wedding anniversary, to celebrate the most successful marriage in British Royal history.

The touching portrait, which shows the royal couple standing side by side, symbolic of the unwavering loyalty of Prince Philip, who has supported the Queen throughout her years of devoted service.

Taken in the white drawing room at Windsor Castle, adorning the walls on either side of them are giant portraits of the British royal family's previously longest married couple, George III and Queen Charlotte, who were married for 57 years.

Wearing a cream day dress by her in-house designer Angela Kelly, in a touching acknowledgement of Prince Philip's enduring affections, on her left is pinned an ornate brooch decorated in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, designed by Andrew Grima, which the Duke gave her as a personal gift in 1966.

On 20 November 1947, at 11.20pm Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married at Westminster Abbey.

Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, who submitted several designs for the dress. The winning design was approved mid-August, less than three months before the wedding. The dress has a simple cut with fitted bodice, heart-shaped neckline with a low v-pointed waist and a floor-length panelled skirt.

Due to rationing measures in place following World War Two, Princess Elizabeth had to use clothing ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress.

Thousands of people turned out for the royal wedding lining the streets around Buckingham Palace to see Elizabeth leave in the Irish stage coach accompanied by her father King George and to return with her husband the Duke of Endiburgh after a wedding ceremonyi n front of 2000 guests and watched on TV aroudn the world

The royal couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness's wedding cake was 9 feet tall.

Seventy years on, the new photograph, which was taken early in November by British photographer Matt Holyoak from Camera Press, captures the stability of the royal marriage which is deemed to have been the bedrock of the monarchy.

Camera Press was the agency that distributed the official wedding pictures back in 1947, taken by the photographer Baron, who would go on to be a close friend of Prince Philip's according to Sky News.