Celebrating Jubilee : The Accession

Back on February 6, I wrote a little about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This year marks Queen Elizabeth's 60th Anniversary on the throne, and official celebrations are scheduled to take place the first weekend in June. In honor of this remarkable milestone, I thought it would be fun to examine different official and personal aspects of our Queen each week leading up to the big celebration.

Photos are courtesy of The Daily Mail, London Telegraph, Getty Images, Corbis, Zimbio and Press Association. 

In 1952, Princess Elizabeth was a 25 year old naval wife with two young children. The young couple had just finished a two year post in Malta where Prince Philip had been stationed in the British Navy, and were transitioning into full-time royal life.

The new Queen with Prince Charles and Princess Anne, summer 1952

On January 31, 1952, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip departed on a Commonwealth tour of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. As this was their first major tour and they were to be away for more than six months, Elizabeth's parents and sister went to the airport to see them off. We now know that the King was not well, but I can't imagine that anyone predicted his death would occur just one week later.

King George, far left, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mum at the airport

Elizabeth and Philip flew to Kenya for the first leg of the trip. The tour was filled with the usual events- hospital visits, speeches, a polo match, garden parties. Film footage of their visit to Nairobi can be seen here. The couple also paid their first visit to Sagana Lodge, which they had received as a wedding gift from the Kenyan Government.

with Sir Philip Mitchell, Governor General of Kenya, at a Garden Party

Watching Prince Philip play polo

Philip and Elizabeth were at Sagana Lodge when news reached them of the King's death. Their plans to sail from Kenya to Australia and New Zealand were cancelled and they immediately returned to Britain. While only a week had passed since Princess Elizabeth left, I think the photos of Queen Elizabeth returning to England show a very different woman. 

Three Queens in mourning (Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) 

I can't imagine the pressure Queen Elizabeth was under, all while grieving her father's unexpected death. That's one of the rather morbid aspects of royalty, I suppose- having to wait to start your "job" (that  you have trained for your whole life) until one of your parents passes away. In that respect, the Dutch Royal Family, who has a tradition of abdicating the throne at about retirement age and passing it on, are on to something. Elizabeth also had two kids under the age of 3, and a husband who had to give up a successful naval career that he loved. While there are undoubtedly, many perks of being queen, I have a hunch there were still many challenges.

Next, we'll look at the coronation.