THE QUEEN AT 95
Her Majesty admires a noble steed as she reviews The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park, London, on their 70th anniversary on October 19, 2017. The KTRHA was formed on the wishes of His Majesty King George VI in October 1947. Commonly known as the Gunners, The Royal Artillery provides firepower to the British Army. Equipped with 13-pounder field guns dating from the First World War, the troop provides ceremonial salutes for royal occasions and state functions. Ray Tang/ Zuma Press/PA Images
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THE QUEEN AT 95
THE QUEEN AT 95 EDITOR:
Jack Harrison
REVISED IN 2021 BY: Pauline Hawkins
PRODUCTION EDITOR:
Dan Sharp
DESIGNER:
Craig Lamb
COVER DESIGN: Darren Hendley
REPROGRAPHICS:
Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield
PUBLISHER: Steve O’Hara
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole
MARKETING MANAGER: Charlotte Park
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PRINTED BY:
William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton
ISBN:
978-1-911639633
PUBLISHED BY: Mortons Media Group Ltd, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR. Tel: 01507 529529
COPYRIGHT:
Mortons Media Group Ltd, 2021. Images are courtesy of the Press Association unless otherwise specified, paimages.co.uk A selection of images used in this publication are published under a Creative Commons Licence. They are credited and marked *. All other images used exist in the public domain and/or there are no known copyright restrictions. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
The Queen Front main image: Visiting contemporary art centre Hauser & Wirth Somerset in Bruton, Somerset on March 28, 2019. Reuters/Toby Melville/Pool Back: The Queen and the Prince of Wales during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster in London on Monday, October 14, 2019. Victoria Jones/ PA Wire
at 95 Q
ueen Elizabeth II has ruled Britain for almost 70 years and in 2021 celebrates her 95th birthday.
As the longest reigning-monarch in British history, she has been a figurehead of consistency and tradition since the 1950s, and has worked tirelessly for the good of her people both at home and across the Commonwealth. The hundreds of carefully chosen images in this volume trace the course of her reign – from her unwavering devotion to duty, to the moments of personal joy and sadness – and offer an opportunity to reflect on one of the century’s greatest lives.
PREFACE
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PREFACE
Preface W
hen Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday in April 2016, no one could have predicted the tumultuous events that were about to unfold. Britain voted to leave the European Union just two months later – the greatest change to the status quo in four decades – dividing the country in the process. And by the spring of 2020 the whole world was in the grip of an invisible and merciless enemy that struck down the frail, the vulnerable and the elderly. Covid-19 brought countries to a standstill and left families in the UK and around the globe anxious and frightened, their movements restricted and, in many thousands of cases, in despair after the loss of a loved one.
A photograph of the Queen’s father, King George VI, takes pride of place on her desk as she addresses the nation and the Commonwealth on the 75th anniversary of VE Day from Windsor Castle on May 8, 2020. David Niviere/ Abacapress.com
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THE QUEEN AT 95
Yet through all the strife, uncertainty and fear, a light has continued to shine. From coronation to coronavirus pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II has pointed the way – a beacon of hope for a nation battling a virus that has threatened to destroy its hard-won freedoms. 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. Recall the iconic people of the last nine decades – be they politicians, heads of state, religious leaders, celebrities, other public figures – and there’s every chance they will have crossed paths with the Queen. “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 where the only certainty is that nothing is certain, the Queen has remained a beacon of stability, recognised and respected by many across the globe.” Those words are as true today as they were then.
CONTENTS Wearing a gown designed by Norman Hartnell, Queen Elizabeth II poses for cameras the day after her Coronation, June 3, 1953.
CHAPTER 1 | 10-23 Leading from the front
CHAPTER 2 | 24-31 Long To Reign Over Us
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 PREFACE AND CONTENTS
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There is obvious enjoyment on the Queen’s face as Olive the duck leads the entourage at Gorgie City Farm in Edinburgh on July 4, 2019. Keeper Maia Gordon walks alongside Her Majesty during the visit. Andrew Milligan/ PA Archive/PA Images
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THE QUEEN AT 95
Wearing a powder blue outfit with black accessories, the Queen contrasts sharply with the dark green, red and white of the Balaklava Company, 5 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland as she inspects them at the gates to Balmoral while taking up summer residence at the castle on August 6, 2019. Andrew Milligan/PA Archive/PA Images
THE QUEEN AT 95
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THE QUEEN AT 95
The Queen enjoys the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, Braemar on September 2, 2017. Andrew Milligan/ PA Archive/ PA Images
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THE QUEEN AT 95
As the Duke of Edinburgh approached his 99th birthday, the couple posed for a photograph in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle on June 1, 2020. They celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in November 2020. Steve Parsons/PA Wire/PA Images
THE QUEEN AT 95
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CHAPTER 1
Leading from the I
n the 2020s, just as in the 1950s when she acceded to the throne, Queen Elizabeth II continued to show her steely determination to set a shining example, to lead from the front and to challenge and conquer adversity with energy and composure. Having addressed the nation twice in 2020, firstly about coronavirus and a few weeks later in relation to the VE Day 75th anniversary commemoration, Her Majesty went on to galvanise the population with her Christmas Day message, offering hope by reassuring people spending the festive period without friends or family that they were not alone.
In line with households across the country and the world, the royal family had to deal with changes to their lives. The Queen and Prince Philip broke with tradition and instead of heading to Sandringham for the festive season with younger family members, the couple decided to stay at Windsor Castle, pre-empting Government calls for smaller family gatherings on Christmas Day. In her televised speech, she said: “Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer. In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit.”
The commemorative new £5 coin issued by the Royal Mint to celebrate Her Majesty’s 95th birthday in 2021.
THE QUEEN AT 95
hearts as he raised millions of pounds for the NHS by walking laps of his garden as he approached his 100th birthday in April 2020. In July 2020, Captain Sir Thomas Moore was knighted by Her Majesty at Windsor Castle. There were many other momentous events following the Queen’s 90th birthday in April 2016. The Brexit vote in June of that year saw the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, followed by a turbulent period with Theresa May at the helm, and subsequently Boris Johnson oversaw Britain’s exit from the European Union in 2020. In the same year the Queen’s grandson, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, his wife Meghan and their son Archie left Britain for a new life in America. A controversial decision to grant US president Donald Trump a state visit to the UK went ahead in June 2019.
On January 9 it was announced that both she and the Duke of Edinburgh, then just a few months short of his 100th birthday, had both received Covid-19 vaccinations. In November 2019 the couple had celebrated 73 years of marriage, making the Queen’s marriage the longest of any British sovereign.
But through all the trials, tribulations, Trumps and triumphs the Queen remained cool-headed, focused and resolute. Her 95th birthday celebrations included the striking of a new £5 commemorative coin – a denomination usually reserved for special royal occasions. The coin features the royal cypher ‘EIIR’, and the words ‘My heart and my devotion’, referencing part of her 1957 Christmas broadcast.
The virus touched the Queen’s own family as it affected many thousands of ordinary households across the country. The royal family was not immune to Covid-19, with the Queen’s eldest son Charles and her grandson William, Duke of Cambridge, both testing positive for the virus in 2020. It was a year of change in many ways for the Queen. She became adept at using videolink technology to communicate with people and was also photographed wearing a mask when she attended a ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
During that speech the Queen said: “In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at all times was close and personal. Today things are very different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.”
However, there were brighter points for Her Majesty and the nation during the pandemic. “Captain Tom” captured
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front
That philosopy has prevailed throughout her reign, and has offered a guiding light to millions through decades of adversity and change, joy and tragedy.
Pearls and pastel shades were selected for this state visit to Paris on June 7, 2014. Nicolas Briquet/ Abacapress.com/ PA Images
CHAPTER 1 – LEADING FROM THE FRONT
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CHAPTER 1
He was a divisive figure but there was no mistaking the genuine admiration that US President Donald Trump showed when accompanying Her Majesty to the commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth on June 5, 2019. Andrew Matthews/ PA Wire/PA Images
First Lady Melania Trump, Queen Elizabeth II and US President Donald Trump view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection of historical significance to the US on June 3, 2019. The room is undergoing major reservicing works, which will see the replacement of the Gallery’s almost 200-year-old roof, as well as the removal of ageing pipes, wires and other essential infrastructure – some of which has not been updated since the Second World War. Tolga Akmen/PA Wire/PA Images
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THE QUEEN AT 95
Her Majesty appears eager to greet British Airways employees during her visit to the company’s headquarters at Heathrow Airport, London, on May 23, 2019, to mark BA’s centenary year. Tolga Akmen/PA Archive/PA Images
Still enjoying one of her favourite pastimes at the age of 94. The Queen rides 14-year-old fell pony Balmoral Fern in Windsor Home Park on May 31, 2020, while in residence at Windsor Castle during the coronavirus pandemic. Steve Parsons/PA Archive/PA Images
Newly elected leader of the Conservative party, Boris Johnson, is welcomed during an audience in Buckingham Palace on July 24, 2019. The Queen’s weekly audience with the prime minister was postponed to allow Boris Johnson to focus on the race against the clock to secure a post-Brexit trade agreement. Victoria Jones/PA Wire/ PA Images
CHAPTER 1 – LEADING FROM THE FRONT
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CHAPTER 1
An elephant seems keen to meet the royal couple as they officially open ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s new Centre for Elephant Care as part of a visit to Bedfordshire on April 11, 2017. Chris Radburn/PA Archive/PA Images
The proud grandparents chat after the wedding ceremony of their grandson Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. Alastair Grant/PA Archive/PA Images
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THE QUEEN AT 95
A royal gathering as her Majesty, her eldest son Prince Charles, his two sons and their wives are pictured at a reception at Buckingham Palace in London on March 5, 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales. Behind the Queen and the Prince are, from left, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Dominic Lipinski/PA Archive/PA Images
The royal wave and smile always appear fresh, never more so than at this appearance at the Order of the Garter service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on June 17, 2019. DPPA/SIPA USA/PA Images
CHAPTER 1 – LEADING FROM THE FRONT
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CHAPTER 1
A rare but practical appearance in a headscarf for Her Majesty as she opens the Wolferton Pumping Station in Sandringham, Norfolk, on February 5, 2020. Adrian Dennis/ PA Archive/ PA Images
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Her Majesty looks radiant during a visit to the Royal College of Physicians in London on February 20, 2018, to mark the 500th anniversary of the body’s founding charter. Chris Jackson/ PA Archive/PA Images
There’s a hint of mischief and humour in the Queen’s eyes as she takes a tour of the new Highland Spring factory building in Blackford, Perthshire on July 6, 2017. Andrew Milligan/ PA Archive/PA Images
Never has ‘royal blue’ been so well described! Resplendent in matching jacket, brooch and hat during a visit to British Airways’ headquarters in London on May 23, 2019. Tolga Akmen/PA Archive/PA Images
CHAPTER 1 – LEADING FROM THE FRONT
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CHAPTER 1
The Queen during a visit to Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge on July 9, 2019. Joe Giddens/PA Archive/PA Images
The Queen leaves Westminster Abbey, London, on October 15, 2019, having attended a service to mark 750 years since Edward the Confessor’s original church was rebuilt under the reign of King Henry III. Yui Mok/PA Archive/PA Images
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The darkened background only serves to highlight the Queen’s sense of style. Here she attends a reception for 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, who were honoured with the Freedom of The City of Edinburgh, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on July 3, 2018. Jane Barlow/PA Archive/PA Images
The pearls get another outing at a reception at Buckingham Palace on October 17, 2019, to mark the work of The Queen’s Trust. Victoria Jones/PA Wire
CHAPTER 1 – LEADING FROM THE FRONT
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CHAPTER 1
The three-strand pearl necklace proves popular again during a visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, on May 20, 2019. Geoff Pugh/PA Archive/PA Images
Pastel pink and pearls combine at a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 29, 2019 as the Queen marks 25,000 days of her reign, during which time her love of pearls has never waned. Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images
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THE QUEEN AT 95
The Doyle family, in the village of Bishop’s Itchington in Warwickshire, watch Queen Elizabeth II deliver her address to the nation and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic on April 5, 2020. Jacob King/PA Archive/PA Images
A cardboard cut-out featuring Queen Elizabeth II in the stands during the Sky Bet Championship match at The Den, London, on November 21, 2020, when football fans were not allowed to attend matches due to Covid-19. Kirsty O’Connor/ PA Wire/ PA Images
New technology can be daunting for older people but some take to it like a duck to water. It seems the Queen isn’t afraid to grasp the concept as she appears by videolink on December 10, 2020 from Windsor Castle during a virtual audience to receive His Excellency the Ambassador of Germany Andreas Michaelis and his wife Heike, who were at Buckingham Palace. Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images
A screen shows Queen Elizabeth II and a quote from her speech on the fight against Covid-19 at Piccadilly Circus in London in April 2020. The death toll of those hospitalised in Britain who tested positive for the novel coronavirus had by then reached 10,612, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Tim Ireland/Xinhua News Agency/PA Images
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CHAPTER 1
During lockdown many people found comfort and solace with family pets. The Queen’s love of dogs is well known and here she leaves Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic. Aaron Chown/PA Wire/PA Images
Captain Sir Thomas Moore receives his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II during a ceremony at Windsor Castle on July 17, 2020. Chris Jackson/ PA Wire/PA Images
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Wearing a face covering, Her Majesty inspects a bouquet of flowers placed on her behalf at the grave of the Unknown Warrior by her Equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, during a ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London on November 7, 2020 to mark the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior. Aaron Chown/PA Wire/PA Images
Socially distanced, the Queen chats with her grandson and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on December 8, 2020 in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle. They met and thanked members of the Salvation Army and local volunteers and key workers from organisations and charities in Berkshire for the work they were doing to help others during the pandemic and over Christmas. Glyn Kirk/PA Wire/PA Images
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