BBC - IWonder - Elizabeth II - Britain's Diamond Queen

BBC - iWonder - Elizabeth II: Britains diamond Queen
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Presented by
Professor Kate Williams
Royal historian
Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for over six decades. While Britain has changed
dramatically, she has been a constant presence in the lives of the people of the UK and
Commonwealth.
Duty and family are very important to her. As a child during the Second World War she inspired
the nation. The lessons she learned during these formative years helped her ensure the Royal
Family remains a symbol of tradition in the 21st Century.
21 April 1926
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Andrew Marr discusses Princess Elizabeth's family and early life. The Diamond Queen
(BBC One, 2012)
Princess Elizabeth was born in 1926. Her father Albert Bertie to family was
George V's second eldest son and did not expect one day to be king.
Elizabeth's mother and father took their royal duties seriously. Though loving
parents, they kept with the tradition of not taking their children on royal tours.
They left the baby Elizabeth behind when they embarked on a six-month tour of
Australia. It was duty first for the young Royal Family.
The Queen's early life
BBC History: King George VI
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Winston Churchill, 1928
28 August 1930
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Princess Elizabeth and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, with baby Princess Margaret.
Elizabeth was four when her sister Margaret was born. The family lived at 145
Piccadilly and the two girls were educated at home.
The young Princess Elizabeth called Lilibet by her family often visited her
grandfather King George V at his home, Buckingham Palace. They were close,
and on one occasion the press attributed George's recovery from a serious
illness to spirit-raising visits from his young granddaughter.
The Queen's grandfather - King George V
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Margaret Rhodes, Elizabeths cousin
1936
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Andrew Marr explains how Princess Elizabeth became heir to the throne in 1936. The
Diamond Queen (BBC One, 2012)
Elizabeth's life changed forever when King George V died to be succeeded to

the throne by her uncle Edward who then abdicated shortly afterwards.
Elizabeth's father became King George VI, and the young princess first in line to
the throne. The family had to move from their home in Piccadilly to Buckingham
Palace. George V had disapproved of his eldest son Edward, and hoped that
Elizabeth would one day be Queen. George VI has been described as a
reluctant king. The day before he accepted the throne he wrote in his diary "I
broke down and sobbed like a child."
The Queen's uncle: Edward VIII
BBC Archive: Edward VIII
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King George V confiding to a courtier in 1935.
13 October 1940
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Princess Elizabeth delivers her first radio speech at age 14. BBC Radio (1940)
During World War Two Princess Elizabeth did her part to boost public morale. In
1940 she made a broadcast to Britain's children.
Taking on solemn duties at an early age had a profound effect on her. She made
public appearances on her own, representing her father the King. She also
served in the auxiliary territorial service, a role she was keen to take up in order
to make a contribution to the war effort. During the war years she was also in
correspondence with a young naval officer, Philip of Denmark and Greece.
BBC News: 70th anniversary of the Queen's broadcast
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05:23, 6 June
Bombardment
From: D-Day timeline: The beginning of the end of WW2
1945
Victory and defeat

From: Sir Winston Churchill: The greatest Briton?
1944
The electronic connection

From: Alan Turing: Creator of modern computing
1945
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Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret mingled anonymously with crowds outside Buckingham
Palace.
On the day the war ended in Europe, Elizabeth and her sister Margaret mingled
anonymously with the crowds outside the palace.
Elizabeth convinced her parents to let her and Margaret join the VE day
celebrations. Elizabeth was wary of being recognised but later said it was one of
the most memorable nights of her life. This was a rare moment when she was
able to join the public her subjects to be which would eventually be
impossible for her. World War Two cemented cemented two principles the
Queen would support for the rest of her reign: a commitment to the
Commonwealth, and the importance of remembrance.
BBC History: Celebrating VE Day
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Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting on VE day in a BBC interview in 1985
1947
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Princess Elizabeth playing deck games on board a Royal Navy ship.
On her 21st birthday Elizabeth went on an official tour of South Africa, delivering
a speech dedicating herself to the service of the Commonwealth.
Elizabeth's father King George VI was suffering from poor health. Elizabeth
continued to take on royal duties, and over the next few years she played a
greater public role as her father's health declined. She had her own private
secretary and was given access to Foreign Office telegrams, which arrived in
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Princess Elizabeth in her speech in South Africa, 1947
20 November 1947
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The Queen marries Prince Philip in Westminster Abbey. How Princess Elizabeth met her
Prince (BBC One, 2006)
Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married at Westminster Abbey on 20

November 1947. She wore a dress she'd paid for with ration tokens.
Although Elizabeth and Philip were in love, the young princesss husband was a
controversial choice. He was foreign born, with no financial standing and no
kingdom. He had sisters married to Nazis, who were not invited to the wedding.
Philip gave up his Greek and Danish titles and changed his religion to marry
Elizabeth. Now married for over 65 years, the Queen has had the longest
marriage of any UK monarch.
BBC iWonder: Prince Philip timeline
BBC News: Queen and Duke celebrate 65th anniversary
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Winston Churchill, responding to suggestions that the postwar wedding should be austere.
1948
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Queen Elizabeth II with Charles Philip Arthur George.
Elizabeth's first child, Charles. was born in 1948. Anne followed two years later.
Elizabeth had been tutored privately when she was young but she and Philip
decided their children should attend boarding school as Philip had done. Like
her parents before her, Princess Elizabeth left her children for several months to
fulfil royal duties. The royal couple also lived together for periods without their
children at Philips naval base in Malta. As a young royal, Elizabeth's life was
one in which family life had to be balanced against public duties.
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6 February 1952
The broadcast made by the BBC on the King's death. An Unforgettable Coronation (BBC
One, 2003)
King George VI had been in poor health for years. For some time Elizabeth's
secretary had been carrying accession papers for use when the King died.
The King passed away while Elizabeth was touring Kenya. The young princess
became Queen while visiting a treetop hotel. One of her aides told Prince Philip
the news. Philip looked "as if the world had been dropped on him." Philip then
told the new Queen of her father's death. The next day Elizabeth requested no
photographs be taken, though one journalist said he could feel her sadness as
she passed and waved to them.
BBC On This Day: Death of King George VI
When Victoria became Queen she wished for time alone
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2 June 1953
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (ITN Source/ITV Studios, 1952)
In an era of austerity, the Queen was crowned in an embroidered satin dress.

The coronation was a huge public spectacle and the first such event to be
televised. It's been estimated over 20 million people tuned in around the UK,
with each set watched by an average of nine people. News that Edmund Hillary
had climbed Everest arrived in Britain on the same day, and the public was in a
jubilant mood. Yet from that moment, Queen Elizabeth would have to learn to
manage the media as no monarch had before her.
50 facts about the Queen's coronation
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1956
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

From: Duke of Edinburgh: Naval officer, family man and tribal icon
Late 1950s onwards
Lights, camera, industrial action

From: The Longer View: Labour and the unions
1961
Royal College group

From: How art went pop: Pop Art timeline
1965
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20 years after World War Two, the Queen pledged support for West Berlin and received
rapturous applause. The Queen in Germany (BBC One, 2006)
By 1965, the Queen had reigned for over a decade and made frequent overseas
visits. She had also given birth to two further sons: Edward and Andrew.
At home and abroad, the Queen had to maintain political neutrality, but she was
making her own mark on the role of monarch. She made a number of historic
visits, including the first to Berlin of a British monarch since before World War
One. She also delivered a speech at the United Nations in New York,
representing the UK and the Commonwealth. Ensuring the unity of the
Commonwealth has been an enduring passion for her.
Origins of the Commonwealth
1970
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Queen Elizabeth II meeting crowds in Hobart, Tasmania in 1970.
The Queen became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia and New
Zealand.
In 1970 she invented the royal 'walkabout', to meet local people as well as
dignitaries on her tours. This has since become a popular royal tradition. She is
head of the Commonwealth, a title created by her father as countries left the
Empire but wished to retain links with the UK and the monarchy. The Queen has
visited all 53 Commonwealth nations except two recent joiners, Cameroon and
Rwanda.
The role of the Queen in the Commonwealth
1977
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Melvyn Bragg looks back at the Silver Jubilee. Reel History of Britain (BBC Two, 2011)
Britain was rocked by riots and unrest but at the same time celebrated with
thousands of parties for the Queen's jubilee.
The country was suffering political turmoil, with an unpopular government, and
many suffering economic hardship. During the Jubilee celebrations the Sex
Pistols climbed the charts with the anti-monarchist God Save The Queen and
were arrested after performing it on a boat on the Thames. Yet the Queen
remained largely untouched by this outbreak of anger against the government
and the state of the country. She still walked amongst admiring crowds.
BBC On This Day: Queen celebrates Silver Jubilee
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God Save the Queen, the Sex Pistols
1981
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The Queen, riding side saddle on her horse Burmese during Trooping the Colour, moments
before the attack.
A man fired six shots at the Queen while she was riding down The Mall. The
shots turned out to be blanks.
Though shaken, the Queen retained control over her horse. The man, Marcus
Serjeant, was tried and sentenced to five years in prison under the treason act.
This attack came the month before Charles and Diana's wedding, so royal
security was stepped up in preparation. The following year, another man broke
into the Queen's bedroom in a startling breach of security at Buckingham
Palace.
BBC On This Day: Queen shot at by youth.
iWonder: Assassination attempts on Queen Victoria
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Harold MacMillan, prime minister 1957-63
1981 to 1982
'No more nukes!'

From: The Longer View: Nuclear explosion
Mid/late 1980s
Wrecking ball
From: Who was Ian Paisley?
16 October 1984
Brighton bombing
From: The IRA: From conflict to ceasefire
1992
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Andrew Marr looks at the events that made 1992 a bad year for the Queen. The Queen at
80 (BBC One, 2006)
The Queen called 1992 her Annus horribilis horrible year in a speech made
after a series of unpleasant events.
The marriages of two of her children, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, broke
down. A best-selling book was published detailing Princess Diana's unhappiness
and collapsing marriage. There was also a large and damaging fire at Windsor
Castle, the Queens private home. Public support for the Royal Family dipped,
though the Queen remained dignified and constant figure.
Guardian: How the Queen recovered from Annus Horribilis
1997
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John Simpson reports on the return of the Queen to Buckingham Palace after Diana's
death. BBC News (BBC One, 1997)
Princess Diana died in an accident in 1997. Amid the mourning, the Queen
faced a critical dilemma.
Initially, the Royal Family grieved privately. However, the public reaction to
Diana's death led to accusations the Queen was unresponsive and out of touch
with the public mood. A Daily Express headline declared, Show Us You Care.
That evening, the Queen made a broadcast paying tribute to Diana as an
"exceptional and gifted human being". The swell of anger had shocked the
Queen and she admitted there were "lessons to be drawn from her life and the
extraordinary public reaction to her death".
BBC On This Day: Princess Diana dies in Paris crash
2002
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Golden Jubilee party at the Palace. The Royal Year with Jennie Bond (BBC One, 2002)
Fifty years after her father's death, both the Queen's mother and sister died
within two months of each other.
However, popular support for the Queen was increasing after the difficult 1990s.
Throughout her reign, the Queen represented continuity and surety, though she
accepted the monarchy must attempt to renew itself. She undertook a
40,000-mile tour of the Commonwealth. She said her own "association with the
Commonwealth has taught me that the most important contact between nations
is usually contact between its peoples."
BBC News In Depth: The Golden Jubilee
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Queen Elizabeth II, Golden Jubilee speech to the Houses of Parliament, 2002
2012
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Andrew Marr summarises the Queen's Diamond year. A Diamond Queen (BBC One, 2012)
In a year of celebration the Queen joined the Olympic opening ceremony,

appearing in a James Bond spoof in her first acting role.
In the same year she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, only the second achieved
by a British monarch. She did not travel the world for this celebration. Instead
her children and grandchildren made trips on her behalf. The Queen chose to
tour the UK over several months. In 2012 her approval rating hit 90% the
highest it had been since she came to the throne in 1952.
BBC News: James Bond whisks the Queen to the Olympics
BBC iWonder: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
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BBC - IWonder - Elizabeth II - Britain's Diamond Queen

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