Photo of British Queen's first encounter with Prince Philip

LONDON: An extraordinary picture, which captures the moment the future British Queen met her husband- to-be Prince Philip for first time when she was just 13 years old, has emerged after more than 70 years. The photograph, unearthed while researching 'Prince Philip At 90', a documentary to mark his milestone birthday in June, shows the first meeting between the future Queen and her husband-to-be over a game of croquet. The couple had in fact met when the future British Queen had visited Dartmouth College along with her father King George VI in 1939, the 'Daily Mail' reported. In fact, Philip, then a promising cadet, was assigned to entertain King George VI's daughters, including Elizabeth. And, he obviously made a lasting impression on the 13-year-old future Monarch. Subsequently, the couple fell in love and they began to exchange letters. They finally tied the knot on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. Just before their wedding, he was made the Duke of Edinburgh. However, their marriage was not without controversy -- Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born and had sisters who had married German noblemen with Nazi links. Elizabeth's mother was reported, in later biographies, to have opposed the union initially, even dubbing Philip " The Hun".