Preface

At that time she was already married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the couple went on to have four children with the eldest, Charles – now King Charles III – being born in November 1948.

The Duke’s death in April 2021 just three months before his 100th birthday left a gaping hole in Her Majesty’s world, made worse by coronavirus restrictions that forced her to mourn alone in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The world’s collective heart broke to see her, dressed in black and wearing a black face covering, unable to share her grief with family due to Covid rules. Yet again, she set an example to all, saying goodbye to her beloved Philip while keeping her own counsel behind her mask.

From coronation to coronavirus pandemic, the Queen pointed the way – a beacon of hope in a world sometimes plunged into darkness and despair by events both planned and unforeseen.

Jack Harrison, who compiled and edited The Queen at 90, upon which this publication is based, wrote in his original preface: “Whichever image of the Queen seems most familiar to us, it’s likely that our perception will have been shaped by the abundance of photographs and film that exists of her. Cameras have followed Her Majesty since 1926, capturing every moment of her life in public. And what a remarkable life it has been.

“Think of any milestone moment in British – and often world – history in the last 90 years and the Queen has been there; many times at the forefront as a leader and many times as the subject of the story. The world is a very different place today to how it was in 1926 –advancements in technology, cultural shifts, political evolution and revolution; these are just some of the seismic changes to have occurred. Yet in a time when the only certainty is that nothing is certain, the Queen has remained a beacon of stability, recognised and respected by many across the globe.”

That beacon may have been extinguished, but its embers will remain alight for many years to come. With fondness the Queen is remembered in these pages, and her life is recounted in the many images that follow.

Wearing a gown designed by Norman Hartnell, Queen Elizabeth II poses for cameras the day after her Coronation, June 3, 1953.

Contents

CHAPTER 1 | 10-23

Remembering A Remarkable Royal

CHAPTER 2 | 24-31

A Reign Like No Other

CHAPTER 3 | 32-37

A Princess Is Born

CHAPTER 4 | 38-44

The 1930s

CHAPTER 5 | 45-51

The 1940s

CHAPTER 6 | 52-59

The Queen and Prince Philip

CHAPTER 7 | 60-66

The 1950s

CHAPTER 8 | 67-73

The 1960s

CHAPTER 9 | 74-82

The Queen and the Commonwealth

CHAPTER 10 | 83-90

The 1970s

CHAPTER 11 | 91-98

The 1980s

CHAPTER 12 | 99-104

The Queen and the Royal Family

CHAPTER 13 | 105-112

The 1990s

CHAPTER 14 | 113-121

The 2000s

CHAPTER 15 | 122-130

The Queen’s 90th Year