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Has hey eliza passed away9/12/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() The mood was somber, as the whole nation mourned the death of their sovereign. On February 7, after a thunderstorm delayed her departure, Elizabeth arrived in London. It is said that as Elizabeth departed the lodge, no photographers took a single shot of the historic moment, per Her Majesty's request. No one actually saw Elizabeth shed a tear. "She was sitting erect, fully accepting her destiny," Martin Charteris, the princess's private secretary, says in the book. GettyĪccording to Robert Lacy, author of The Queen: A Life in Brief, she reacted stoically, and showed almost no distress. The Queen had gotten up that morning and eaten breakfast while " tossing bananas to baboons below,"unaware of what was going on in London.īBC's Frank Gillard penned at the time: "How tragic to think that even this morning, as she sat at breakfast, talking about her father, and proudly describing how bravely he'd stood up to his illness, how well he'd recovered - sitting there in her yellow bush shirt and brown slacks - even at that moment her father was lying dead and she had succeeded to his vast responsibilities."Ī sign notifying guests and photographers not to take photos after the passing of King George VI. While it's believed by many today that the Treetops Hotel is where she found out her father had died in his sleep in the early morning hours of February 6, The Guardian reports that this isn't exactly true. Gettyīritish hunter Jim Corbett, who was also staying at Treetops at the time, later wrote the now famous lines in the visitors' guest book: "For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and after having what she described as her most thrilling experience she climbed down from the tree next day a Queen." From Princess to Queen Princess Elizabeth and Philip attend a polo match in Nyeri, Kenya days before George’s death. The night before George died, Timereports that the Princess was "too excited to sleep" and "kept leaving her cot to watch other nocturnal visitors at the watering hole." Just hours before she learned that her father had died, the Princess was enjoying her time aboard, taking photos of elephants at a nearby watering hole. Five days into their trip, King George VI took his final breath. The royal couple arrived in Kenya on the first of the month, where they attended a garden party, greeted the Governor of Kenya and enjoyed time at the Treetops Hotel, which was located in the heart of the forest. I felt with foreboding that this would be the last time he was to see his daughter, and that he thought so himself.” The high wind blew his hair into disorder. The King went on to the roof of the building to wave goodbye. ![]() I had the feeling of doom, which grew as the minutes before the time of departure ebbed away. I was familiar with his look and mien, but he seemed much altered and strained. When Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip left Heathrow for Kenya, the King and Queen came to see them take off… I was shocked by the King’s appearance. Lord Chandos, the Colonial Secretary, told The Telegraph at the time: "I well remember the last time I saw the King. Little did Elizabeth know that when she departed Heathrow on Januthat it would be the last time she'd ever see her beloved father. Knowing that the King was too ill to travel, Elizabeth set off on the Commonwealth tour with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh (who later became Prince Philip in 1957). King George VI (second, right) waves goodbye to his daughter, Elizabeth, for the last time at Heathrow. Though the safety of the royal family was a big concern among British officials, the King felt it was necessary to show face on the African continent. ![]() Mau Mau fighters were gaining power in their fight against British colonialism and for independence (which they eventually won in 1963). At the time, the British monarchy was under intense scrutiny in Kenya. On February, 6, 1952, the day George VI died at Sandringham House, Elizabeth wasn't by her father's side - instead, she was working on his behalf. She was prepared, though it's not certain she was ever really ready for what was ahead. What's more, he suffered an arterial blockage in 1949 and had to have his left lung removed in the summer of 1951.ĭuring his struggles, George had allegedly been showing his daughter state papers and "the ways of the monarchy." There were black clothes in Elizabeth's suitcase whenever she traveled. After all, the King was forced to postpone a tour of New Zealand and Australia because of his condition. Gettyĭespite being overcome with grief when he was laid to rest, the royal family was reportedly aware of the King's declining health by the early 1950s and knew that Elizabeth's time was coming. Princess Elizabeth and King George VI talk in an office at Buckingham Palace in 1950. ![]()
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