Whether you’re famous as a prince or a queen or whether you’re just Mr., Mrs. or Ms Average, is love and passion the most important thing in a marriage? And just how important is it to be good friends with your spouse? I’d suggest no matter what your status in life being good friends with your spouse is critical.
Prince Phillip, husband of Queen Elizabeth 2nd, is about to set a new record. He will become Britain’s longest serving consort. At 87, Prince Philip is already ‘the oldest serving partner of a reigning monarch.’
Now you might conclude that the English monarchy simply doesn’t look kindly on divorce, since the couple has been married over sixty years. But a former lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother and a friend to the Queen, suggests another reason for the lasting marriage. Lady Penn claims one of the keys to the couple’s lasting marriage is that they are still ‘good friends.’
Although Mick and I haven’t been married as long as Queen Elizabeth 2nd and her consort, I agree that being good friends is an essential component in a lasting marriage. Whether its trivial conversations about shared interests like football or the deeper issues of life, when I want someone to talk to he is my first choice.
On my calendar recently it had this quote. ‘A friend is a person with whom you can dare to be yourself.’ The quote is reputedly by Pam Brown, though I couldn’t locate this quote on the search engine. Surely this is nowhere more important than in marriage – that we are free to be ourselves and that we are loved for ourselves.
How about this one? ‘A real friend is the person who can enter your heart and touch the highest point of happiness in you, using as tools: his affection, his patience and his passion.’ Isn’t that exactly the way it should be between a husband and wife?
Yes I believe love, romance and passion are important but equally as important is being ‘good friends’ with your spouse.
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