Why Princess Elizabeth was destined to be Queen

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21 April 1926 in Mayfair, London. The first child to The Duke and Duchess of York, they welcomed sister Princess Margaret Rose in 1930.

A very close-knit family, who although lived a privileged life, never really thought they would see Elizabeth ever reign as Queen. This however changed quickly following her grandfather's death in 1936 and her uncle Edward VIII's abdication as King after just one year, for this meant that Elizabeth's father became King George VI and Elizabeth was now next in line to the throne.

Life growing up for Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret was often spent at home where they were taught by governesses, tutors and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Winston Churchill, a close family friend described Elizabeth at two years of age as, "...a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant".

During WW2 the young sisters were forced to separate from their parents in Buckingham Palace, first  at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, then Royal Lodge, Windsor and finally Windsor Castle where they lived for five years.

From a young age Elizabeth demonstrated great strength of character having adjusted to war life and was clearly  destined to be Queen when she made one of her most historic addresses on BBC's Children's Hour when she was just 14. Wanting to lift evacuee children's spirits who were also separated from their families, Elizabeth shared via radio broadcast:

"My sister, Margaret Rose and I, feel so much for you as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all."

Elizabeth stole everyone's heart in the moment and her strength of character at such a tumultuous time shone like a beacon of hope for many.

"When peace comes it will be for us. The children of today to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place".

Four years later when Elizabeth was almost 18, she trained as driver and car mechanic with the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service; later earning the equivalent of captain. War work wasn't for the faint hearted and Elizabeth showed no fear in getting her hands dirty. She wore the uniform like everyone else, did the training like everyone else - she was a stoic woman from the very beginning.

Six years of war finally ended in May 1945 and on Victory in Europe Day, the streets of London were filled with huge crowds of people celebrating. Elizabeth, wanting to feel the excitement on the ground for herself, asked her parents if Margaret and her could go down, which they approved. She recalls being 'terrified of being recognised'  but pulled her hat down and immersed herself in the emotional happiness around her, and said it was: "one of the most memorable times of my life"..

A couple of years later Elizabeth undertook her first overseas tour where she shared her famous 21st birthday pledge, dedicating her life to the service of the Commonwealth:

"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."

Soon after came the royal announcement of Elizabeth's engagement to her distant cousin, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.

With the effects of depression following the war, the couple's wedding in Westminster Abbey on 20 November, 1947 offered a prosperous new beginning for people - evident by the roaring cheer from the crowd when the newlyweds appeared on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony - a fairytale moment in history.

The royal couple welcomed their first child, Prince Charles in 1948 and Princess Anne a couple of years later in 1950. In the beginning, they enjoyed a rather normal and happy life in Malta where Prince Philip was then an officer in the Royal Navy.

The couple's first royal tour came about in 1952 and it was while in Treetops, Kenya, that news of Elizabeth's father's death came. Prince Philip was told the news first and took Elizabeth - now Queen - for a long walk in the wilderness where he broke to his love, the devastating news.

Making her way back home, Elizabeth knew her life would never be the same. How she must have felt having just got married, with two young children, facing the challenge of taking the throne at just 25 years old, must have been overwhelming. Though the public would never know, for the Queen always kept her emotions discrete, it wasn't in her nature to share her private life. If the archive footage of her stepping off the plane back home in Britain; old cars lining the runway and ministers greeting their new Queen presented us with anything, it was a woman of poise and utmost strength. She knew at that moment it was the start of her reign - a reign she would dedicate herself to like no other, leading her to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

By Kirsten Jakubenko

Sources: 

• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-II 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II 
• https://www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyukAXKsHtg 
• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a26111579/queen-elizabeth-ii-father-king-george-vi-death/ 
• https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily