Jubilee Giveaway BlogHop

How Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth - age 16

The day that Princess Elizabeth's father King George VI died, was the day Elizabeth's title changed from Princess to Queen. And she was only 25 years old. She was a young mother and heir to the throne, travelling through East Africa with her husband Philip on a Commonwealth tour. It was a tour her 56-year-old father was scheduled to do, but he'd been ill. 

Her father's illness had already forced Princess Elizabeth to postpone a trip to Canada. But after a successful operation to remove a diseased part of his lung, it was decided that it was safe for the princess to set off on the tour. She started her tour on Jan. 31, 1952. The king died 6 days later of a coronary thrombosis – a blood clot in his heart. 

On the night her father died, the princess was staying at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya. It was a game-viewing lodge, built into a tree overlooking a waterhole, and the only way in was up a tall, rickety ladder. At the time, the hotel was the only place like it in the world. While she was there, Princess Elizabeth watched baboons, rhinos and other animals visit the waterhole. 

In England, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was informed and plans commenced the monarch's state funeral and the coronation of the new queen. 

Radio programs were cancelled as were sports, movies and the like. England knew the monarch was dead and that they had a new queen, but Princess/Queen Elizabeth was still unaware of her father's death. There was no internet or cell phones for instant communication. The ironic turn of events in this saga – is that a telegram had been sent to Nairobi, but it couldn't be decoded because the keys to the safe holding the codebook couldn't be located.  It was through a reporter who called the princess's secretary who called the Duke's secretary who informed the Duke who relayed the sad news to his wife. 

The now Queen wrote in the visitors' log 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." 

But the saga doesn't end there – The Queen must now return to England. But – she didn't have the proper mourning dress. It had been packed in London, but some of her luggage had been sent on to the next stop on the tour. The new Queen couldn't leave the plane in London wearing an everyday dress. A message was sent to London and a black outfit was delivered to the airport. When the plane landed, Queen Elizabeth changed then stepped off the plane and into her new future. 

She was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.

Why is she Queen Elizabeth II? Queen Elizabeth I reigned from 1558  to 1603 – but that's a whole nother story.

Queen Elizabeth I

             

Here's an excerpt from my latest – Circles Interlocked. And since this is a Giveaway Blog Hop one lucky commenter will receive a free ecopy – just for commenting and leaving your email address. You have to leave your address so I'll know where to send the ebook!

 CIRCLES INTERLOCKED available at  Amazon KDP - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005S8LI46

Excerpt –

"No, Brittany's abilities lay inside a house, decorating and cooking. Neither of which do I possess an ounce of talent in. The horticultural section of the college has done the flowerbeds for the past few years. They get paid for the work, and can list working for the estate on their résumés. It was one of Robert's ideas." There, Francine had done it. She'd said his name. Julie would have to deal with his presence.

"How is he?"

Francine tilted her head and smiled. "Who?"

"Robert. How is Robert James Holiday?"

"He's doing okay. Been a busy boy, but it's paid off. The ranch has an organic rating. Difficult to get and very prestigious. The racing stables have been successful. Two Grand Champions in the past three years."

Julie glanced back at a corral. "He's still at the stable?"

"Yes, he'll never leave. But you know Robert, always doing more than one thing at a time."

"Like what?"

"Let's see, he has a couple of degrees. One in Business Administration and the other in Math."

Julie was silent with her thoughts as they strolled among the rose gardens. Holding a blood red rose, labeled Sacrifice, Julie took a deep breath. Not to inhale the rose's perfume, but to build a moment of courage. Trying to sound nonchalant, she turned. "So what did Trish mean that I was wrong about Robert?"

"She meant you hadn't thought about what it was Robert did, and why he did it. The reasons you made are the same you have kept for all these years, and those reasons are wrong."

"But I caught him in bed with another woman. What possible reason could he have. Besides...you know, sex?"

"Melissa was a friend. What you saw wasn't what happened."

"What did happen?"

"I don't know if I should answer that. I think you should think about it or let Robert explain it. Eight years is a long time to carry around the garbage of an old grudge. You have to resolve this."

"Is this friend Francine talking or Dr. Paulin?"

"Try friend Dr. Paulin, noted psychologist and expert in the affairs of the heart."

"I suppose in February you run around in a diaper, and shoot people with arrows."

"How did you know?"

Here' the link to everyone else.

http://curiositykilledthebookworm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/jubilee-giveaway-blog-hop.html