The Queen and Prince Philip spent the first Covid lockdown at Windsor Castle with about 20 staff members in what was dubbed HMS Bubble, and an aide says the couple ‘bickered’

The late Royal pair, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, found a charming spark in their relationship during the lockdown.

The couple reportedly shared a bit of banter as they shielded from the pandemic at Windsor Castle. But don’t mistake them for just any couple hitting their twilight years. Her Majesty wasn’t having any of that.

When Prince Philip cheekily told his wife of 73 years “Oh, do shut up, you silly woman”, an insider says he was swiftly put in place. The monarch fired back with regal sass: “I am not a silly woman, I am the Queen.”

During the first Covid lockdown, the duo hunkered down at Windsor with a modest entourage of about 20, fondly termed HMS Bubble. It appears the pandemic had a silver lining for their bond it blossomed anew, reminiscent of young love, but with a distinct regal twist, according to the Daily Mail.

The Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle (Image: PA)
An aide spilled the regal tea to the press, revealing how they fell into his catering hands amidst staff shortages brought on by the global health crisis.

He recounted: “They bickered with one another. It was sweet but so unexpected. On one occasion I heard the duke say, ‘Oh, do shut up, you silly woman’, and the Queen replied, ‘I am not a silly woman, I am the Queen’. I couldn’t believe my ears but I was told this was how they always were with one another.”

A heartwarming photo of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, offering a rare glimpse into their private lives away from formalities and ceremonies, was unveiled ahead of Philip’s funeral. The Royal pair were captured in a way seldom seen unwinding during a summer holiday and taking in the breathtaking landscape of the Scottish Highlands on the Balmoral estate, reports the Mirror.

The touching photo of the late Queen and Prince Philip
Appearing utterly relaxed and grinning warmly at the camera, Philip and the Queen are seen lounging on the grass at the Coyles of Muick, a picturesque spot near the town of Ballater in Aberdeenshire. The duke is reclining on a rug, propped up on his left elbow with his hat playfully placed on his right knee.

Smiling at the Countess of Wessex who snapped the picture in 2003 the Queen, clad in a tartan skirt, blouse and cardigan and adorned with a string of pearls, also sits on a rug.