000-012_Prelims 2016_Queen's Awards 24/06/2016 14:39 Page 6
1926: The Duke and Duchess of York with their baby daughter Princess Elizabeth
1945: Princess Elizabeth as an ATS subaltern undergoes training as a mechanic
After the war, she increasingly stepped into her role of performing public service, including attending the launch of a new aircraftcarrier in Belfast, a tour of Ulster in March 1946, and attending the National Eisteddfod of Wales in August 1946, and then made her first overseas trip to South Africa in 1947. Also, later in that same year, Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the following year in 1948, their first child was born, Prince Charles. In 1952, when her father, George VI passed away, Elizabeth became Queen and the following year her coronation was greeted with widespread enthusiasm. Her coronation made new TV viewing records around the globe and even news reports of Edmund Hilary reaching the peak of Mt Everest were delayed to coincide with her coronation. Since then, The Queen has worked constantly, she has conferred over 400,000 honours and awards, opened Parliament in every year except 1959 and 1963 (when she was expecting her children Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively) and has
1933: The young Princess Elizabeth, pulls her socks up as she arrives at Olympia station, London pulls her socks up
THREE CHEERS FOR NINETYYEARS CelebratingThe Queen’s lifetime of public service
Born in 1926, Queen Elizabeth II became head of state when she was just 25 years old and has become Britain’s longest serving monarch, achieving that record on 9 September 2015, when she passed the 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes that Queen Victoria ruled. Throughout her life, Queen Elizabeth’s dedication to duty has won the respect and admiration of her subjects. Over The Queen’s 90 years, life in the United Kingdom has changed beyond all manufacturing accounted for the vast majority of jobs and economic output of the UK. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s, the continuing rise recognition. Back in 1926, agriculture, mining and
The young Princess Elizabeth was originally
travelled extensively to attend public functions, meet people from all walks
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”
educated at home with little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, the responsibility passing to her father. However, she was already involved in public service, making her first public speech in October 1940, when she was 14. In a live broadcast, she sent a message during the BBC’s children’s programme to all
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the children of Britain and the Commonwealth. During the Second WorldWar the now heir presumptive was evacuated to
Balmoral and later Windsor Castle for her safety, joining the Women’s Royal Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she served as a driver and mechanic in 1945.
of overseas competition and the impact of the SecondWorldWar saw the start of the enormous social and economic change that has led to the modern country we know today.
1947: Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten pose for their first engagement pictures at Buckingham Palace
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