Queen Elizabeth Insisted that Prince Philip Give Up Smoking When They Got Married

• Smoking played a huge role in the untimely death of Queen Elizabeth's father (opens in new tab), King George VI. The late king developed lung cancer and other smoking-related ailments in the years leading up to his death by coronary thrombosis.
• Even before his death, George's health issues clearly had an impact on Elizabeth. In his new book, Long Live the Queen! 13 Rules for Living from Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch (opens in new tab), royal author Bryan Kozlowski explains that Elizabeth insisted her husband, Prince Philip, give up smoking when they married.
• Philip reportedly quit the habit cold turkey on his wedding day to Elizabeth.

What the Queen says goes—and that applies to her marriage, too. Before their wedding day (opens in new tab), Queen Elizabeth (opens in new tab) reportedly laid down the law with Prince Philip (opens in new tab) about one of his worst habits: Smoking.

Elizabeth's vendetta against cigarettes didn't come out of nowhere. Her father, King George VI (opens in new tab), was a heavy smoker and suffered from several related health issues, including lung cancer, in the years leading up to his untimely death in 1952 at just 56 (opens in new tab).

According to royal author Bryan Kozlowski (opens in new tab) in his new book Long Live the Queen! 13 Rules for Living from Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch (opens in new tab), Elizabeth insisted that Philip kick the habit when they married in 1947—which he did, but not until the actual day of their wedding.

"Understandably, Elizabeth was adamant that Philip give up the habit that wreaked her father's health," Kozlowski writes. "Previously a heavy smoker himself, Philip obliged with phenomenal efficiency, going from a pack a day to quitting cold turkey on his wedding day."

Impressive.