the united kingdom of great britain the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland? i solemnly promise so to do. she was anointed, blessed and consecrated. choir sings zadok the priest by handel she took possession of a 1,200 year old throne. she knew that it was a role from which only death could release her and yet, when she was born, no one had thought that it would be her destiny. elizabeth alexandra mary windsor was born on 21 april, 1926. she was the first child of the then king s second son, the duke of york. she cried at her christening perhaps the only time in her life that she made a public scene. she was a happy child with occasionally a child of make sense of mystery. mischief. this was the young princess elizabeth at the age of four and three quarters, visiting a photographic studio in london. her life then was comparatively carefree. a politician called winston churchill noted she had an air of authority that was astonishing in an infant. fate pro
an amazing woman. just a very sombre mood in windsor, really. what did she represent to people of your generation? a guiding light, a moral code, how to conduct yourself, - how to act, what is - right and what s wrong. here on the streets of royal windsor, the sense of a an epoch having passed is palpable. there is the sense of mourning, shared with the entire nation. but something else. for these people have lost a neighbour, a queen who was part of their daily lives. amir bukhari was getting calls from relatives in pakistan, who had heard the news. he runs a cafe besides windsor castle. no words to express my emotions. it is really sad. what did she mean to you? not only me but everyone in the world. everybody feels very sad, very down. for us, she was a neighbour. and we feel more. no matter how long anticipated, the end has crystallised loss. the passing of a monarch, who symbolised to people the best of their nation, of themselves. fergal keane, bbc news, windsor. you ve
her engagement to lieutenant philip mountbatten, as he was now called, was announced injuly 19117. fanfare. four months later, they were married in westminster abbey. seldom has a bride and groom received such a tumultuous expression of goodwill. b, received such a tumultuous expression of goodwill. a year later, expression of goodwill. a year later. the expression of goodwill. a year later, the first expression of goodwill. a year later, the first child, - expression of goodwill. a year later, the first child, charles l later, the first child, charles was born. two years after that, a daughter, anne. by by now, philip had resumed his naval career and was posted to the mediterranean island of malta, where he wasjoined by his wife. it was the most carefree time of their married life but it wasn t to last. the king was in poor health. he d been treated for lung cancer. when elizabeth left for a visit to east africa in february 1952, it was to be the last time she would see him. it wa
margaret thatcher. relations between female head of state and female head of government were sometimes said to have been strained. one at times difficult area was the queen s devotion to the commonwealth, of which she was head. elizabeth knew the leaders of africa well and was sympathetic to their cause. she was said to have found mrs thatcher s attitude and confrontational style puzzling. with this ring. ..i thee wed. for the queen and herfamily, the 19805 had begun with a moment of great promise. prince charles s wedding injuly 1981 to the young lady diana spencer seemed to be a moment of hope for the future. the new princess of wales captured the public imagination and became a media superstar. consequently, when the marriage began to fail, its decline was a very public one. when the couple s separation was announced in 1992,
throughout her life, he was to be her inspiration. injuly 1939, injuly1939, the in july 1939, the king injuly1939, the king took his daughters to the royal naval couege daughters to the royal naval college at dartmouth and there, amongst the cadets, was the young prince philip of greece. it was not the first time they had met but the first time they had met but the first time they had taken an interest in each other. but europe was on the brink of war. the nazis were on the march. britain was preparing to defend itself and as children were being evacuated from britain s cities, elizabeth made her first radio broadcast. thousands of you in this country have had to leave your home is and be separated from your fathers and mothers. home is and be separated from yourfathers and mothers. my sister margaret rose and i feel so much for you, as we know from experience what it means to be a way from those we love most of all. to be a way from those we love most of all- most of all. night after