When he heard the news that George VI had died, the Duke of Edinburgh looked as if half the world had been dropped on him, his close aide once said.
Philip had been expected to take a large share of royal engagements as the King’s health grew worse.
He and Princess Elizabeth had made their first major tour together to Canada and the United States in October and November 1951, after which the duke was made a Privy Counsellor.
Yet on February 6, 1952, both their lives changed irrevocably.
Elizabeth and Philip were on a tour of Kenya when a message was given to the duke that the King was dead.
The day the world fell in – Elizabeth becomes Queen pressandjournal.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressandjournal.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.