“Good memories are our second chance of happiness” - Queen Elizabeth II
Remembering Her Majesty the Queen (1926 - 2022)
I have a newsletter scheduled for next week. It’s full of hope, happiness and thoughts for the future. But for today, we remember the most amazing woman in history, Queen Elizabeth II.
While devoting your service to one job for even a handful of years might feel like a lifetime, our queen quite literally devoted most of her life ‘to the service of her people’.
It should be no surprise then that during her time as the world’s longest-serving female monarch, Queen Elizabeth II witnessed some of the most ground-breaking moments in human history.
From securing peace during WWII, to discovering the ‘secret of life’ (DNA). The development of the contraceptive pill: launch of the National Health Service, man on the moon, demolition of the Berlin wall, first mammal cloned and the end of the British Empire...
Breakthrough after breakthrough has defined Her Majesty’s 70-year long reign.
Yes, she was born into royalty and yes, she lived a privileged life. But Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was never born to be queen.
If her uncle, King Edward VIII, hadn’t abdicated to marry the American socialite, Wallis Simpson, Elizabeth would not have become heir to the throne.
It's impossible to know for sure what was going on in her head during the early days of her reign. Even if you're an avid fan of "The Crown" on Netflix (which the queen herself was believed to watch), none of us will ever really know how she truly felt.
Yet one thing is certain, she dedicated her service right to the very end.
Now is a time for reflection; and this gracious ruler, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and indeed, great woman of history held a wealth of experience and knowledge to inspire us all.
Here are a few interesting facts about Her Majesty that you may or may not know.
‘Princess Auto Mechanic’
Even as a teenager, the young princess displayed a ‘strong sense of duty’ and backbone for being the future Queen.
Alongside many other women during the Second World War (my own grandmother being one of them), Elizabeth insisted on joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army.
Nicknamed ‘Princess Auto Mechanic’ by the press, she began training in March 1945 and qualified as a driving and vehicle maintenance mechanic the following month.
Princess Elizabeth was just 18 years old at the time. But even though many ATS women were killed or injured during active duty, her father, King George VI, ensured that his daughter never received any preferential treatment or rank. She began as an Officer and was later promoted to Junior Commander.
“How good he is, Crawfie. How high he can jump”
Before war broke out in 1939, Princess Elizabeth and her family visited Dartmouth Royal Naval College where a certain Prince Philip of Greece just happened to be training.
Tall, handsome and athletic, the dashing prince dazzled Lilibet by leaping over tennis nets.
Indeed, the royal nanny, Marion Crawford (affectionately dubbed Crawfie, by Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth) confirmed, ‘she never took her eyes off him the whole time’ - it was love at first sight.
And the feeling appeared to be mutual…
Marriage to Princess Elizabeth
Following a distinguished naval career, Philip asked King George for his daughter's hand in marriage (although he allegedly proposed to Elizabeth first). The king agreed, providing they delayed any formal engagement until her 21st birthday.
In preparation for the announcement, Philip abandoned his royal titles and adopted the surname, Mountbatten (from his mother’s side). This allowed him to become a British subject and in November 1947, the two lovebirds were wed.
Because of post-war austerity (which even the Royal Family weren’t exempt from), Elizabeth saved up WWII ration coupons to help pay for her pearl encrusted silk wedding gown.
Many members of the public also donated their own coupons to ensure the princess could purchase her dream dress. Yet according to Town & Country magazine, each donation was graciously returned.
“Plum pudding”
Less than a year later, when the World Health Organisation was established and the first Polaroid Camera went on sale; Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born.
In fact, Prince Charles was born via Caesarean section at 21:14 (GMT) on 14 November 1948, in the Buhl Room at Buckingham Palace. The room, according to Town and Country, was ordinarily used as a guest room and converted into a ‘miniature hospital’ for the occasion.
Princess Elizabeth was only 22 when she gave birth to Charles. Yet in those days, one's husband did not attend. Instead, Prince Philip reportedly roamed the palace grounds during her 30-hour labour and played squash with his secretary Mark Parker.
As the Daily Mail reported:
When the King's private secretary Tommy Lascelles brought the good news, Philip bounded upstairs into the Buhl Room which had been converted into an operating theatre. He then held his firstborn, still wearing his sporting flannels and said, he looks like a “plum pudding” (Daily Mail, 2017).
Although Philip’s response might not sound the most endearing, his love for Elizabeth and Charles shone through when he presented his wife with a beautiful bouquet of red roses and carnations.
From Cradle to Crown
As Her Majesty’s first child, Prince Charles became next in line to the throne and a proclamation was posted on the Palace gates on the night of his birth.
According to royal biographer, Kitty Kelley, Princess Elizabeth was determined to be a hands-on parent. She breastfed for two months and slept in a room next door to Charles.
“I am going to be the child’s mother, not the nurses,” she asserted.
But in 1952, Elizabeth’s plans quickly evaporated when she ascended the throne at the age of 25.
Now faced with overwhelming duties and a daunting schedule of royal engagements, ‘any idea of a family in the normal sense’ observed Kelley, ‘was knocked on the head by the queen’s accession at such an early age’.
She did, however, make time for her children by teaching them to horse ride and occasionally have breakfast together.
On the lead up to her coronation, the queen also delighted Charles and Anne by parading the full weight and sparkle of St. Edward’s crown during their bath time.
As Charles recalled in an interview with the BBC;
“I shall never forget, when we were small, having a bath and she came in practicing wearing the crown before the coronation - all those sorts of marvellous moments, I shall never forget."
Looking back to the future
I was born in 1971, so the queen is the only monarch I have ever known, My dad, however, was born in 1932 and has lived under 5 monarchs: George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II and now Charles III.
During that time, he served in the Royal Navy and on a few occasions, met Prince Philip’s late uncle, Louis Mountbatten - 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy.
According to dad, the earl was a force to be reckoned with and would waste no time ushering ranks together so they could hear him talk.
As for mum, she was just a young girl when Elizabeth II officially ascended the throne in 1953 and although she never met the queen personally, she did attend a royal garden party in the breath-taking grounds of Holyrood Palace.
She had been invited in recognition for her services to the community and the sense of pride that mum (and indeed, countless other guests) gained from the experience, was priceless.
The memory of that day will always stay with mum, and for me, her beaming smile when I took this picture.
So on this solemn Monday, as we say our final farewells to Her late Majesty and welcome King Charles III as the new sovereign, I’m mindful of the many ways in which Her Royal Highness touched our lives (big or small). And just like the historic meteor that shot over the UK last Thursday, to keep our gaze forwards.
After all, The Queen herself once said, “we have as much to look forward to with confidence and hope as we have to look back on with pride.”
Rest in peace your majesty.