Wednesday February 6 1952. The new Queen Elizabeth must have felt the weight of the world upon her shoulders.
For that occasion the Queen Mother sent a telegram to his daughter a few but strong lines: To: Her Majesty The Queen All my thoughts and prayers are with you. Mummie Buckingham Palace.
It is 60 years to the day since she learned her beloved father, George VI, had died suddenly. There was nothing the doctor could do; over on the other side of the world, the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth had become a Queen Elizabeth. The balmy Kenyan weather could hardly have been further removed from sub-zero Norfolk, but the mood was just as sad, as the Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh rushed to the airport. Back in London, members of both Houses of Parliament swore the Oath of Allegiance to the new Queen. Well, not everywhere. [photo zdnet.com]
For many people, life continued much as before. Indeed, reading the pages of this paper, life in 1952 often seems closer to the Britain of 60 years before than to today.
The country was still moving out of the shadow of war. Sugar, eggs, cheese and meat were still rationed. In the week after George VI’s death, price controls were lifted from soap, semolina, cocoa, drinking chocolate and flour confectionery.
The 1953 Coronation sparked a huge increase in television viewers: 56 per cent of the population, 20.4 million people, watched at least half an hour of the service. Newspaper headlines and radio messages : now the king had died - long live the Queen .
Today The 85-year-old sovereign's statement of intent to continue to serve the nation reveals she has lost none of her desire to fulfil her role as head of state despite her advancing years.
Wednesday February 6 1952. The new Queen Elizabeth must have felt the weight of the world upon her shoulders.
For that occasion the Queen Mother sent a telegram to his daughter a few but strong lines: To: Her Majesty The Queen All my thoughts and prayers are with you. Mummie Buckingham Palace.
It is 60 years to the day since she learned her beloved father, George VI, had died suddenly. There was nothing the doctor could do; over on the other side of the world, the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth had become a Queen Elizabeth. The balmy Kenyan weather could hardly have been further removed from sub-zero Norfolk, but the mood was just as sad, as the Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh rushed to the airport. Back in London, members of both Houses of Parliament swore the Oath of Allegiance to the new Queen. Well, not everywhere. [photo people.com]
For many people, life continued much as before. Indeed, reading the pages of this paper, life in 1952 often seems closer to the Britain of 60 years before than to today.
The country was still moving out of the shadow of war. Sugar, eggs, cheese and meat were still rationed. In the week after George VI’s death, price controls were lifted from soap, semolina, cocoa, drinking chocolate and flour confectionery.
The 1953 Coronation sparked a huge increase in television viewers: 56 per cent of the population, 20.4 million people, watched at least half an hour of the service. Newspaper headlines and radio messages : now the king had died - long live the Queen .
Today The 85-year-old sovereign's statement of intent to continue to serve the nation reveals she has lost none of her desire to fulfil her role as head of state despite her advancing years.
David Cameron has led the tributes to the Queen, highlighting her "magnificent service" and how she has guided and united the country and Commonwealth with her "experience, dignity and quiet authority".
Princess Elizabeth, as she was then, said: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." Her 60 years as monarch will be marked throughout the year by a series of regional, national and international events during 2012. [photo mcdermottsmiscellany.blogspot]
Members of the royal family will undertake Diamond Jubilee tours across the Commonwealth and the countries where the monarch is head of state, and the celebrations in the UK will culminate in a four-day Bank Holiday weekend in June. [photo urbandud.wordpress]
For Diamond Jubilee At the River Thames pageant featuring a 1,000-strong flotilla and a St Paul's Cathedral service of thanksgiving are some of the highlights of the weekend.
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