PANTO THAT BEGUILED HER PRINCE CHARMING

When 17-year-old Princess Elizabeth starred in a production of Aladdin at Windsor Castle, she had no idea it would change her life for ever. For sitting in the front row was Prince Philip of Greece, 22, whom she already had a teenage crush on. Just as Prince William would later fall for Kate Middleton dressed in a revealing lacy outfit during a university fashion show, Philip couldn’t have missed the fact that his distant cousin had suddenly transformed into a stunning princess. Less enamoured was her father George VI, who regularly complained that the future Queen’s panto costumes were too short. Philip stayed for Christmas — and was a frequent visitor from then on.