60 years ago yesterday, King George VI (as featured in last year’s Oscar winning King’s Speech movie) passed away, four days after waving goodbye to his daughter, who jetted off to a holiday in Kenya. The daughter, the current Queen, packed a black dress in her luggage, half knowing the worst might happen. At 25 years of age, on Feb 6th 1952, she became sovereign and over the interim has exemplified the best in service to the country and her subjects. She is the second longest serving monarch, with three years to go before taking that title off Queen Victoria, her great great grandmother.
QEII, now 85, never ‘celebrates’ the day she ascended to the throne, as it is a sad day (being the date of her father’s passing), yet she stepped out yesterday on a chilly day, and she was warmly received. What an example, what service, what a lady. For aficionados with time on their hands, read 85 things you did not know about the Queen. I’m no royalist per se, but good on yer, yer Maj!
