The Queen and Prince Philip Made a Secret Pact Not to Mourn Each Other for "Too Long," a Royal Expert Says

• In a series of recent engagements, Queen Elizabeth II has clearly been in good spirits, a stark contrast to the mourning royal watchers saw earlier this year after the death of her husband, Prince Philip.
• According to royal reporter Richard Kay, the Queen's happiness shows that she's honoring a promise she and Philip made years ago about how either of them should handle the death of the other.
• "The two had often discussed how each would cope without the other at their side, and it boiled down to this: whoever was left should mourn, but not for too long, then enjoy what remained of their life," Kay wrote in a recent column for the Daily Mail. 

Queen Elizabeth (opens in new tab) is honoring a promise she made to her late husband, Prince Philip (opens in new tab), by making a point to enjoy herself in his absence.

According to Daily Mail (opens in new tab) royal columnist Richard Kay (opens in new tab), the fact that the Queen (opens in new tab) has seemed to be in such good spirits during her recent public appearances the direct result of a promise she and Philip made to each other years ago.

"The two had often discussed how each would cope without the other at their side, and it boiled down to this: whoever was left should mourn, but not for too long, then enjoy what remained of their life," he wrote in a recent column.

The Queen has also reportedly been very happy to see COVID restrictions ease, as this has allowed her to attend more in-person engagements again, including the G7 summit in Cornwall and a modified Trooping the Colour (opens in new tab) celebration. As hard as lockdown reportedly was for the Queen (opens in new tab), however, Kay points out that it also allowed her to spend more quality time with Philip in the months leading up to his death than she otherwise would have.

"COVID changed everything but, crucially, it brought an unexpected dividend in that she and Philip were together for the last 13 months of his life," he wrote.

One of the events the Queen has reportedly been most excited to get to attend since COVID restrictions have eased is the Royal Ascot (opens in new tab). The event is a well-known favorite of the monarch's, who has had a lifelong passion for horses.

"It has all helped to perk her up no end," a racing friend said of the impact attending the final day of the Royal Ascot had on the Queen. "She misses Prince Philip dreadfully but she was prepared for his passing. Caring deeply for someone whose health is in decline is always exhausting and I am sure it was no different for Her Majesty."