One hundred years ago today, April 20, was the last day before history. In the early hours of April 21 1926, a little girl was born in London. She would grow up to become the longest reigning Monarch in British history, a Queen who changed royalty and a country and whose long life and rule reflected the changes of a whole world. This is how the royal story was told in the last hours before Elizabeth.
Plans for April 21 1926, a very ordinary royal day
The Royal Family of 1926 had no great plans for April 21. Instead, on April 20, the Daily Mirror reported that King George V intended to spend the following day at the races. He was set for Epsom ”in order to witness the race for the City and Suburban, in which his colt Runnymede is set to take part. Much, however, will depend upon the state of the weather.’;
The paper reported that King George, if he did go to Epsom, might count on the company of his only daughter, the Princess Royal. And that was as exciting as royal plans for April 21 1926 got.
End of an era
However, times were changing. The papers on April 20 1926 also reported the death of someone who had been at the heart of the Royal Family for decades. The Western Morning News was one of several publications to give details of the passing of Ann Clark who had worked as a housekeeper to King George V, Queen Mary and their household for years.
As the paper noted, Ann Clark had been ‘a great personality in the Royal Household, and among the Royal Princes in their childhood days, she was regarded as quite an authority.”
Ann Clark had been with the royals since the late 19th century, working for George and Mary when they were Duke and Duchess of York in the reign of Queen Victoria then when they became Prince and Princess of Wales under King Edward VII. She had stayed with them following the accession of George V and had retired in March 1926 at the age of 77. Her retirement lasted just a month before her death. It was the end of an era.
Kissing babies
In a moment of serendipity, the big royal engagement being reported the day before the birth of the princess who would change everything involved lots of new babies. Princess Mary, the Princess Royal had spent an afternoon at Woolwich Hospital where she heard about a fund to help patients and met as many newborn babies as could be presented to her in an hour.
The Princess Royal toured the wards and met 50 patients, all of them mothers to be or new mamas. She was also shown plenty of youngsters. The Daily New (London) reported that ”while the Princess was taking tea a baby boy, born only two hours before her arrival, was brought for her to see. His mother is Mrs. Foley and his name will be George.”
It was a very royal pick for a baby born just before a very royal baby indeed. Curiously, the aunt who was the public face of the Royal Family in the hours before the birth of Elizabeth II was the relation to whom the late Monarch was said to bear a strong resemblence.
And so to Mayfair…
There was little word of the woman who was about to change royal history. Elizabeth, The Duchess of York was at the home of her parents in Mayfair, a smart townhouse at 17 Bruton Street.
Although Buckingham Palace had made no formal announcement, her pregnancy was the main royal news of the spring. No one expected any appearances from her at this time. Instead, the Leicester Evening Mail looked ahead and said that the duchess and her husband ”providing their engagements permit, are to pay a visit this year to Motherwell…’
It was a general hint that the duchess would be away from the public eye for the near future but would return. Her baby was said to be due in the early days of May. And then April 21 1926 happened.
