Pages

Wednesday 5 June 2013

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Good Morning to you,

In 1975, George and I, were lucky enough to be presented to HRH The Queen.  The Queen had attended the Sovereign's Day Parade at RMA Sandhurst and we, along with five other couples, were chosen to be presented to Her Majesty.

The day of the news, began  like any other day. I  had been busy washing, doing housework and I was playing with Natasha, who was only two years of age at the time, when George burst through the door and told me, "We are going to be presented to The Queen!" I thought he was joking, as he can be a bit of a joker, so I did not believe him, but he said how could he joke about something like this. I sat and thought about it, and decided he was not teasing me..... and then the penny dropped.... we are going to be presented to HM Queen Elizabeth.  I leapt out of my chair as I was so excited, I really did not know what to do with myself, but I was full of questions, "What do I wear", "What do I say", "Do I wear gloves", "Do I shake hands!" The questions were tripping off my tongue,  but George could not give me any  answers as he was being told the protocol the following day.  I had to wait a whole night and day before I found out. I could not settle, I was in such a nervous state of excitement.

When George finally arrived home from work the following day..... it felt like the longest day of my life. George led me through the protocols, the do's and the don'ts.  I had to be smart (obviously), I had to wear gloves (which I expected), I only spoke if I was spoken to (I agreed) and I had to practice my curtsy.

There was so much excitement surrounding The Queen's visit, which of course we were caught up in. Our husbands were busy working, so we  ladies decided to meet up for coffee. We talked and we talked to get rid of our nervous energy as each of us was so excited..... we also practiced our curtsies, non-stop. By the time I had finished practicing  my curtsy had become a thing of beauty.

The day finally arrived. Her Majesty The Queen was seated and The Sovereign's Parade passed without a hitch. After the Parade we were ushered into one of the beautiful rooms at RMA Sandhurst.  We were all excited, but nervous, and I have to say, I was glad that I did not have to speak with Her Majesty, as when she reached George, I looked like a rabbit who had been frozen in the headlights. She spoke to George and smiled at me.  I  curtsied and kept looking at her with a fixed grin on my face.  I often wonder what she thought of me.... I'm sure I looked a little odd, but then I thought afterwards, I am sure she gets the same reaction from all "normal folk"..... I mean, under normal circumstances, who expects to meet The Queen. Remember, I was but two feet away from Queen Elizabeth II, our reigning Monarch.  Who would have believed it could happen to me, and  I have to say, it was a thrill of a lifetime  to be in the same room as The Queen.  It really was an experience of a life time and one I will never forget,

and so I thought, as Queen Elizabeth  celebrated the 60th Anniversary of her Coronation yesterday, you would enjoy some photographs, from, 


The Queen Elizabeth Coronation Book.
which was published in 1953
in time for the Queen's Coronation.

The book is full of photographs of Queen Elizabeth as a child, photographs with her parents and with her sister Princess Margaret. The photographs range from the early 1940's to 1953.

On 6th February 1952, King George VI died and the crown was passed to Princess Elizabeth and  her young life changed forever.

On Sunday 2nd June 1953, Princess Elizabeth was crowned  Queen Elizabeth II. The Coronation took place  in Westminster Abbey, in London.




This photograph was taken in 1942 at The Royal Lodge, Windsor. It reads,

"Her Majesty's quick grasp of affairs of State is largely owing to the careful training given by her father."


In this photograph Princess Elizabeth is wearing her Princess's robes for the Coronation of  her father, George VI.


Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth in one of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace in May 1942.

I love the soft pink of their blouses and the beautiful peter pan collar, which I believe is in fashion now.


Do you recognise the blossoms which are surrounding the 15 year old Princess?

They are Philadelphus which were grown in the gardens at the Royal Lodge, Windsor.  This photograph was taken in July 1941.


..... and here, a photograph of the Queen  as a really sweet looking 3 year old little girl.

Don't you just love her blond, curly, hair.


We all know that the Queen is a keen horsewoman  and has a great love of horses. This photograph shows the Princess Elizabeth rewarding her pony after a victory at the Windsor Horse Show in 1944.


This is a lovely mother and daughter photograph. The Queen and Princess Elizabeth in a carriage procession at Royal Ascot in June 1951.


I thought you would like to see the Coronation Crown. This crown is known as the St Edward's Crown.  It was made in 1661 for Charles II, by Sir Robert Vyner, the Court Jeweller. Since 1661, all the Kings and Queens of England have been crowned with this magnificent crown.


.... and what do you think of this beautiful coach. This highly decorated coach is the Great State Coach which was used to convey Queen Elizabeth to and from Westminster Abbey.  


I had to show you a photograph of Their Royal Highnesses in the Drawing Room at Clarence House in 1951.  By all accounts this blue dress was Her Majesty's favourite dress at the time.



I really like this photograph, it was taken in 1952 when Her Majesty had spent an afternoon in Edinburgh.

The photographer really captured  the beauty  of  Princess Elizabeth.


I could not leave you without showing you a photograph of Her Royal Highness in her bridal gown. On 20th November 1947 HRH the Princess Elizabeth was married to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.



...... and what a beautiful couple they were.

This photograph was taken in November 1949 the Princess had flown to Malta to join her husband for a short holiday.  

....again a lovely  photograph.

These photographs are but a drop in the ocean, as The Queen must be the most photographed women in the world. I am so happy to be able to share them with you, especially on the occasion of Her Majesty's 60th Anniversary.


Take care and I will see you later in the week.

This week I shall be joining,






34 comments:

  1. She really was a most beautiful young woman and they made a handsome couple.

    I can just imagine how nervous you were whilst meeting her.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Que linda ele sempre foi.Até hoje conserva os traços. Linda história da vida e belo post! beijos,tudo de bom,chica

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, Daphne! What an exciting story! I admire Royal families, they have problems as all of us, and they have one of the hardest works. So, who are we to critize them? Our Royal family in Spain has a lot of problems right now. They must be very worried. So I hope they can find the way to solve everything and continue with their lifes and representing Spain.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wonder how she feels with all the protocol? I wonder if she ever forgets her do's and don'ts?

    I would have totally lost it and fainted when she came to me.

    Good thing your knees did not fail you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What an interesting story and a memory for you to cherish forever.

    ReplyDelete
  6. How exciting for you to have been chosen to meet her!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We lived in England at the time of the coronation and I took part in one of the many, probably thousands, of mock coronations on the streets and communities.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Of course I love this post - and all those wonderful photographs! How exciting and terrifying to be presented to the Queen. I laughed when you said you had a grin on your face. That would be my reaction too. :-) Thank you for this great post! I have so much admiration for this woman.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You were very fortunate. Not many get this privilege, not even in her own country. I enjoyed hearing your story and felt I was there with you. Great post. Thanks for your nice comment and visit to my place. I was luck to figure out how to leave you a comment. I do not have Google+.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh Daphne, I LOVED this post! Every time I thought you had gotten to my favorite photograph, then you showed me another. Queen Elizabeth was truly a beauty, wasn't she? And what a striking couple she and the Duke made. I love the one of them together, her in the blue dress. Absolutely gorgeous. And is it me, or does the picture of her father at the desk remind you of Prince Charles? How exciting that you got to meet her. I probably would have acted the same, except maybe I would have fallen during my curtsy! :) Thank you so much for sharing so many beautiful pictures. Have a wonderful day!

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm sure many have been rendered speechless in her presence!

    A wonderful story for a special memory, thanks for sharing.

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.•`¤... Jennifer
    Jenn's Random Scraps

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, so many photos of her reign. She had the tiny-est of waistlines in her youth. I loved the baby girl photo the most. Thank YOU for all of your nice words to me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a lovely tribute to our Queen. I enjoyed seeing some of the service on TV, but I enjoyed all the great pictures from your book. How wonderful to have been presented to her. I have seen her up close but never had the privilage you had. I think I would have been grinning too like you were. A Lovely post.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Daphne, how exciting to have met the Queen. These images of her are remarkable. hugs, Olive

    ReplyDelete
  15. How exciting! I enjoyed this post so much. She was a beautiful young woman and still is. I've been reading more and more about her from various authors and am continuously amazed by her strength and devotion. There'll never be another like her.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a great story! How very exciting! I enjoyed seeing the coronation book.

    ReplyDelete
  17. She is such a beautiful woman and has aged so gracefully. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story and all the pictures! Love them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi, Daphne: I tried to comment yesterday, but I don't think it went through. Then I see where you have added me to your 'circle'...not sure what that means? Anyway, I asked whether there is a difference between last year's 60th Diamond Jubilee and this year's 'Coronation?'

    Many thanks for an interesting and informative post,
    Sharon in Alabama (USA)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Evening Sharon, I added you to my circle to say I was following you as I was finding it difficult to contact you, and I still don't think I managed it, so I am hoping you return to this comment.
      I know it is confusing, but yes there is a difference between the 60th Diamond Jubilee and the Queen's Coronation.
      2012 marked the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the reason was that King George VI died in 1952 and Princess Elizabeth became Queen, but she did not have her Coronation until 1953, (the big state affair) as it was felt that the young princess needed time to grieve the passing of her father before the Coronation was held.
      So, 2012 marked Queen Elizabeth's 60th year of reign, and 2013 marked 60 years since her Coronation.
      I do hope this makes sense.
      Best Wishes,
      Daphne

      Delete
  19. What an incredible post Daphne and what an extraordinary experience that you got to meet the Queen.............
    Now that will be a story for the Grandkids one day - all I have is meeting John Malcovitch - ( actually I had lunch with him ) but he doesn't count - you actually met Royalty!!!!!!!!!!!
    Loved reading this - and loved all the beautiful photos!
    Hugs,
    Suzan

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Daphne!!!

    I loved the pictures!!!!!

    She sure was a beautiful little girl and woman!! Just heard that Prince Phillip has been admitted into the hospital.

    Thanks for sharing your amazing memory of being presented to HRH Queen Elizabeth. All the history involved with her life is amazing!!!

    I love the movie Young Victoria. It shows what their life is all about as royalty.

    Have a great weekend!!!

    Pam
    xox

    ReplyDelete
  21. Daphne, How exciting that you were presented to Queen Elizabeth. I'm sure it must have been the thrill of a lifetime. I must admit that I'm an Anglophile. I love watching tv programs about the royal families. I even have a brass doorknocker commemorating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. I bought it at an antique shop many years ago and it hangs on my family room wall with some horse brass. Isn't that funny? Thanks for sharing your special day, and have a great weekend,
    Hugs,
    Babs

    ReplyDelete
  22. How exciting and a honour to be presented to the Queen. That is my dream although I don't think it will ever happen to me.
    I would like to present to you the Sunshine Award. If you would like to accept, please check out the rules on my blog.
    http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/2013/06/i-received-little-sunshine-and-passing.html

    ReplyDelete
  23. A lovely post about a lovely and wonderful,inspiring Queen! :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh Daphne
    How amazing to have been chosen to meet the Queen - a marvellous day you will never forget!
    I was a young girl at the time of her coronation and I had the most wonderful scrapbooks I'd made of photographs and clippings from newspapers and magazines - all young girls had them!
    For birthdays and Christmas I always got a book on the royal princesses - they were the pop stars of today!
    Yesterday I watched her opening the new BBC building in London - she is so gracious to be smiling and chatting away to everyone she met, when all the time she must have been worried about her husband undergoing an operation that day. He dedication to duty is an example to us all.
    A lovely post - thank you.
    Shane ♥

    ReplyDelete
  25. Daphne, I am greatly impressed! I can imagine how thrilling and terrifying it must have been! I'm curious, was there a specific reason you were presented to the Queen? Did it have to do with your husband's job? Or something else?

    Thanks so much for joining in this week.

    xo
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  26. I have always loved the Queen!!
    Dottie

    ReplyDelete
  27. I can well imagine what a thrill it must have been for you, Daphne. The Queen certainly epitomizes what is meant by doing one's duty.

    Have a lovely new week.

    -Karen

    ReplyDelete
  28. What an amazing story~ you met Queen Elizabeth! She really was a beautiful young woman, I had never seen any of these photos before. She truly looks more like a Hollywood glamour girl than a monarch! That blue dress is stunning, there really was nothing like the style and elegance of the 40's and early 50's...class all the way! Thanks for sharing your story and the pictures. I really enjoyed them and I just may go get myself her biography now!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love this post, the images are great, and it´s a wonderfull experience that you had, knowing the queen!
    I´m very happy for you both, and thank you for sharing it.

    Besos,

    Adriana.(Hogar-Mujer)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Daphne this is a really lovely post and nice pictures! Love it!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  31. I could not help wishing that there was a picture of you and your husband along with the queen. That would have been lovely.

    b+

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Daphne - you were asking about my lunch with John Malkovitch?
    Here you go dahlink!!!
    http://suzyq-vintagous.blogspot.ca/2013/01/john-malkovitch-and-i.html

    Have a great wknd
    Hugs,
    Suzan

    ReplyDelete
  33. Oh..I just discovered your blog. I also LOVE blue and white anything.
    We American Anglophiles absolutely adore your Queen. I don't think I ever admired her more than when she agreed to play along with the Daniel Craig/parachute entrance at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. What a great sport!

    ReplyDelete

Dear Friends,

It is so wonderful to know you enjoy reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it.

Best wishes to you.

Daphne

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...