Karen Dolby - Queen Elizabeth IIs Guide to Life

Queen

ELIZABETH IIs

GUIDE to LIFE

The Wicked Wit of Queen Elizabeth II

The Wicked Wit of Prince Philip

The Wicked Wit of Princess Margaret

First published in Great Britain in 2019 by
Michael OMara Books Limited
9 Lion Yard
Tremadoc Road
London SW4 7NQ

Copyright Michael OMara Books Limited

All rights reserved. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-78929-176-6 in hardback print format
ISBN: 978-1-78929-178-0 in ebook format

www.mombooks.com

Contents

For many people, Queen Elizabeth II quite simply is the monarchy, the personification of what royalty means in the modern world. She has reigned for longer than any other monarch in British history and since her first overseas trip to South Africa in 1947, she has visited over 120 countries, clocking up well over a million miles and circumnavigating the globe on a number of occasions. She has also travelled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. The absolute model of diplomacy, she has acted as ambassador and stateswoman, as well as being the face of Great Britain. She has met with heads of state and the general public, at ease with both, combining the pomp and pageantry of centuries-old traditions with a genuine warmth and personal touch. One of the most famous women in the world, at heart she is a mother and grandmother who loves the outdoors, her horses and dogs, and welcomes a good gossip as a wonderful tonic.

Quietly authoritative, the Queen on duty makes it all look very easy, but it wasnt always so. Until the age of ten, when her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated, she had never expected to be the Sovereign. Then her fathers early death meant Elizabeth ascended the throne before her 26th birthday. It was a steep learning curve for the naturally modest and rather shy Princess, whose early ambition was to marry a farmer and have lots of cows, horses and children. Despite her youth, elder statesmen such as Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan were struck by her assurance and poise. She had a good memory and a keen eye for detail. She learned quickly. Sir Alan Tommy Lascelles, her first Private Secretary after she became Queen, reflected that People will not realize for years how intelligent she is Eventually it will become an accepted national fact.

During her long reign of sixty-seven years and counting, the country and the world have changed beyond all recognition. Queen Elizabeth II has remained a constant. She once commented, I am the last bastion of standards. But she has also had to learn how to navigate the new order, to embrace the best of the modern while holding on to fundamental principles and ageless ideals.

The Queen is in a unique position. Under her stewardship, the monarchy has adapted and evolved. She inherited her title and role when Britain was still in the grip of postwar rationing and austerity. Now into a new millennium, at the age of ninety-three the Queen is still working, still doing her duty, undoubtedly a career woman and one of the most recognizable world leaders.

Straightforward, practical, courageous, formidable and dignified are just a few of the adjectives most often used to describe the Monarch. The broad smile and twinkling eyes also suggest a sharp sense of humour, a quality most often reserved for family and friends, but increasingly apparent in public. This book looks at the character traits and values that have affected her approach to life, as well as the events and relationships that have helped to shape her reign.

O n 6 February 1952, twenty-five-year-old Princess Elizabeth became Queen on the death of her father, King George VI. Although his health had been steadily worsening, at just fifty-six years of age his death took the country by surprise. Six days earlier he had waved his daughter and her husband off from London Airport (later known as Heathrow); they were taking his place on a long-planned royal tour of East Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The royal party went to Kenya first and were based at Sagana Lodge, just north of Nairobi, which was a wedding present to the Royal Couple from the Kenyan people. They stayed one night at Treetops, a large treehouse built in a giant fig tree in Aberdare National Park, where they spent a memorable afternoon and evening watching wildlife from their unique vantage point. It was during their stay at Treetops that the King died, but the new Queen would not receive word until the next day, back at Sagana Lodge.

Prince Philip was told first and it was he who broke the news to his wife. Later, her cousin Lady Pamela Mountbatten went to comfort her: In her usual extraordinary way she was thinking about what everybody else was having to do. Typically, she said, Oh, thank you. But I am so sorry it means we have to go back to England and its upsetting everybodys plans.

Whats in a Name?

One of the first questions to be raised after the Kings death concerned the name that the new Queen wanted to use, which is not such an odd enquiry when you are royal. Indeed, her fathers first name was Albert family and friends generally called him Bertie and George was actually his fourth name.

Before the royal party left Kenya, her Private Secretary Martin Charteris had asked, What are you going to call yourself? Elizabeth replied immediately, My own name, of course. What else? It was agreed that she should become Queen Elizabeth II, following on from the Tudor monarch Elizabeth I and to distinguish her from Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

A New Elizabethan Era

Barely a week after leaving the UK, the new Queen arrived back at London Airport on the evening of 7 February. A sombre party descended the steps to be met by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, Leader of the Opposition Clement Attlee and other senior politicians.

Later at Clarence House, her eighty-four-year-old grandmother Queen Mary curtseyed and kissed her hand in a reversal of their usual roles, although the dowager queen couldnt help adding, Lilibet, your skirts are much too short for mourning.

The next day, Queen Elizabeth II held her first Privy Council at St Jamess Palace, at which she read her Accession Declaration:

By the sudden death of my dear Father, I am called to assume the duties and responsibilities of Sovereignty My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than that I shall always work, as my Father did throughout his Reign, to uphold constitutional government and to advance the happiness and prosperity of my Peoples I pray that God will help me to discharge worthily this heavy task that has been lain upon me so early in my life.