She said, ‘I expect just about every family has a collection of photographs or films that were once regularly looked at to recall precious moments but which, over time, are replaced by newer images and more recent memories. You always hope that future generations will find them interesting, and perhaps be surprised that you too were young once.’
YouTube, too, abounds with footage from significant moments in her life. These are the ones we’ve watched over and over again in the past week.
On Children’s Hour
The then Princess Elizabeth’s gave her very first public address in 1940 from Windsor Castle, aged 14, alongside her sister, Margaret Rose. It is fitting that her maiden message to the world should have been one of comfort and solidarity – two threads woven throughout her life. Through the wireless, she sent encouragement to those children who had been evacuated to safety, saying, ‘Thousands of you in this country have had to leave your homes and be separated from your fathers and mothers. My sister Margaret Rose and I feel so much for you as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all.’ As we see, she displayed empathy and kindness from the off.
Her 21st Birthday Speech
It is hard to imagine that Princess Elizabeth had, until her 21st birthday, never been abroad (she later went on to be the most travelled monarch, visiting some 117 countries). That all changed in 1947, when she accompanied her parents to South Africa, where her father was the first reigning monarch to ever set foot in the country. Her 21st birthday fell whilst on the trip, and to mark the occasion, she made the solemn vow that, ‘My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.’ It was a promise she made good on and lived up to for the remainder of her gloriously long life.
Her Wedding To Philip Mountbatten
On 20th November 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, a British naval officer and son of Prince Andrew of Greece, in a lavish wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey. She was 21, he was 26, but they had met when they were both still teenagers of 13 and 18 respectively. She is said to have been smitten instantly, and his affection was equally fervent. Before their wedding, he wrote to The Queen Mother, his future mother-in-law, ‘‘The only thing in this world which is absolutely real to me, and my ambition, is to weld the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good.’ And so it proved, their union lasting 73 years, until his death at the age of 99. After the wedding, she wrote to her parents, ‘‘We behave as though we had belonged to each other for years. Philip is an angel.’
As New Parents Taking A Walk With Prince Charles
Two years after their marriage, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, welcomed the birth of their first son, Charles. Aside from at his christening, this was the first footage made public of the then second-in-line to the throne, filmed as the young parents took ‘the world’s most famous baby’ for a stroll around their country home at Windlesham Moor, just a short way from Windsor. It is a happy reel of a duo besotted by their new addition.
At Her Coronation
Just six years after her joyful wedding ceremony, The Queen returned to Westminster Abbey, this time for a more solemn ceremony that would see her crowned as our sovereign. Although she had already acceded in 1952 upon the death of her father, the coronation on 2 June 1953 made it official. Conducted by Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, the spectacular ceremony was televised to the nation with some 27 million tuning in and a further 11 million listening on the radio – the first coronation to have taken place so publicly. She wore the State Diadem, a circlet of diamonds which she would later wear for every State Opening of Parliament thereafter, and she was crowned with the St Edwards Crown, and departed the Abbey in The Imperial State Crown. Reported to have been admirably calm throughout the day – a hallmark of her reign – she vowed during a broadcast that evening that, ‘Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust… As this day draws to its close, I know that my abiding memory of it will be, not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection. I thank you all from a full heart. God bless you all.’
The Queen Visits West Germany
In 1965, The Queen made what would become one of the most significant visits of her reign to West Germany. She was the first British royal to set foot in the country since 1913, her presence over the course of ten days symbolising hope for lasting peace between the two countries. The trip demonstrated the power of her position, which naysayers sometimes derided as purely emblematic; on this trip she showed them that that was, indeed, exactly the point.
Broadcast After Diana’s Death
As the country grieved for Princess Diana, The Firm’s popularity took a drastic hit. The British public wanted to know that the sovereign, too, was in mourning for her former daughter-in-law, despite the high-profile animosity between Charles and Diana that had been so mercilessly recorded in the press. Once again demonstrating her adaptability, The Queen listened to her public and broke with tradition, both by flying the flag at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, despite not being in residence, and by making a public broadcast to let the country know that she was, indeed, saddened and shocked by the loss. She spoke ‘as a grandmother’ and it was all that the nation needed to hear.
The Queen Meets Bond
It was a delight to witness Her Majesty’s sense of humour – so much talked of by those who have ever encountered her behind closed doors – presented for the whole world to see. There could have been no better way to kick off the London Olympics in 2012 than The Queen and the world’s most famous spy parachuting into the stadium. Good times.
Her Horse Wins At Ascot
In 2013, The Queen’s horse filly Estimate won the Gold Cup at Ascot – a prize that, as commentator Clare Balding laughingly points out, is normally bestowed by Her Majesty herself. It is a moment of sheer, unbridled joy and delight, and a glimpse into her humanity and humour.
The Queen Sends A Message Of Comfort During The Pandemic
‘We will meet again’. That was the promise that Her Majesty made to the nation during the pandemic – and it was the comfort we all needed. Recorded at Windsor Castle, where she spent the time in the most splendid of isolation, she followed the rules to the letter – as ever, both an example and a beacon of hope. Graceful in her thanks to care workers on the front line, she acknowledged the hardships faced by so many rather than trying to minimise them. It was typically well judged, solemn and comforting. And it was exactly what we’d hoped for from a figurehead.
Ma’amalde Sandwich Your Majesty?
We shall hold dear this moment from The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee earlier this year forever. Two national treasures. A marmalade sandwich. Tapping out the beat to We Will Rock You on fine bone china teacups. All we could ever want. In the words of Paddington Bear: ‘Thank you. For everything.’
By Nancy Alsop
September 2022
