One of the most recognisable and iconic moments in The Queen’s historic 70-year reign was her 1953 Coronation. It was the first televised Coronation and was watched by 27 million people in the United Kingdom, with millions more watching from around the world.Â
Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne upon her father’s death on 6 February 1952. King George VI had only reigned for fifteen…
The Queen’s Wardrobe was a vital part of her public image and, in death, it was become a story of its own as it describes one way in which Elizabeth II projected her public image in an age increasingly obsessed with how we look . Over her life, she was dressed by and…
Memories of Her Majesty: the tour that transformed Elizabeth II into a global Queen
18th September 2022
The story of how Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne—that she went up a tree a princess and climbed back down a queen—and the aborted tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of Kenya that had to be postponed is well-documented. But what of her first official tour as…
The big change The Queen made to bring the royals closer to the people
18th September 2022
Royal walkabouts have created some of the most iconic moments in history, whether that’s a special hug or a royal going out of their way for a special interaction. Believe it or not, as common as they are now, the royal walkabout didn’t actually start until the 1970s.
In previous tours, people could only catch a glimpse of a visiting royal as they drove by in cars. In 1970, Her…
The brooch with big emotional links that became a symbol of The Queen's reign
18th September 2022
When you hear the term “Granny’s Chips,” you might be thinking of your grandma and her homemade chip recipe. When it comes to the Royal Family, Granny’s Chips is the furthest thing from a plate of fried potatoes; it’s one of the most…
Memories of Her Majesty: overtaking Victoria, time and again
17th September 2022
Queen Elizabeth II passed numerous milestones throughout her historic 70-year reign. They have included milestones as a mother and wife and as a monarch. And for many of them, she found herself on a parallel path to her great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria.
On 20…
In 1977, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth celebrated as it was the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, marking the 25th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne.
Celebrations were marked in June during “Jubilee Days” which coincided with The Queen’s Offical Birthday. The anniversary of the date itself, 6 February 1977 was commemorated in church services. In…
Memories of Her Majesty: Elizabeth II's historic visit to South Africa
17th September 2022
In March 1995, Her Majesty The Queen would make a historic visit to South Africa.
It was hugely significant for many reasons and came less than a year after the country’s first fully democratic elections had seen Nelson Mandela chosen by his people as their…
How a tiara with poignant family connections became an emblem of Queen Elizabeth II's early reign
17th September 2022
It became the emblem of the early years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and remains one of the most iconic images of her rule. And the tiara that helped tell the story of the transformation from princess to Monarch had a very special family significance. For Her Late…
Queen Elizabeth II's Prime Ministers: the vital relationship at the heart of her long reign
17th September 2022
It was the image that began her reign and it was there that it ended, too. In February 1952, the first glimpse the world had of the new Queen Elizabeth II came as she descended the steps of her aircraft to be greeted by her Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Seventy years later, the final public appearance of Elizabeth II came at Balmoral, as she appointed a new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. In the…
