Seven decades of greatness came to an end this week as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II departed this fair Earth at the age of 96.
Emotions have been high in the country for understandable reasons. I’m not ashamed to admit I have spent a considerable amount of time crying when receiving the news and I spent several hours reminiscing on The Queen’s long, historic reign.
1952 - The Queen Ascends
Princess Elizabeth became Britain’s monarch on 6 February 1952 after the death of King George VI.
The young Queen took over a United Kingdom rebuilding itself after the Second World War and Her Majesty vowed to deliver modernisation, courage, and strength to her nation.
Though only 25 at the time of her ascendancy, it was clear the future of Britain was in steady hands.
1953 - The Coronation
The Queen’s official coronation took place on 2 June 1935 at Westminster Abbey. Dressed head-to-toe in a stunning royal garment, the young Queen allowed her coronation to be televised to those who weren’t lucky enough to witness it in person.
As always, Her Majesty was accompanied by her dutiful husband, Prince Philip, for her grand ceremony.
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was the fourth and final of the twentieth century and the first (and, as of now, only) to be televised.
1966 - The World Cup And Swinging Sixties
The world changed immeasurably in the first two decades of Elizabeth II’s reign, with seismic shifts in music, fashion, social norms, and politics.
The United Kingdom, and more specifically London, soon became the cultural capital of the world. The Beatles were changing music, the young Queen was appearing on full-colour television, and Bobby Moore was lifting the Jules Rimet trophy. The 1960s were in full-swing, and it looked like the good times would never end.
Her Majesty was in attendance at Wembley as England defeated West Germany 4-2 in the 1966 World Cup Final. Little did Her Majesty know, however, that she would never hand her country the World Cup again.
1977 - Silver Jubilee
The rosy optimism of the 1960s came crashing down as a dismal economy and too-powerful trade unions wreaked havoc on our fair nation.
Punk music was corrupting Britain’s youth, anti-government sentiment was on the rise, and millions of families (including mine) were cowering behind their couches in fear.
Luckily for us, The Queen’s Silver Jubilee quashed any negativity happening in the country as the nation celebrated 25 incredible years of Elizabeth II’s reign. None of us could have imagined that we’d be treated to 45 more years of her benevolence.
1992 - Annus Horribilis
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however, as 1992 threatened to rock the Royal Family’s pristine reputation. Three separate Royal scandals and a major fire at Windsor Castle were events bad enough for Her Majesty to describe the year as her ‘annus horribilis’ upon reflection.
The Queen celebrated 40 years on the throne that year, but even these celebrations couldn’t repair the damage done.
2002 - Golden Jubilee
Spirits were much higher a decade later when the nation commemorated 50 glorious years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
Though festivities were dampened by the passing of her sister, Princess Margaret, and her mother, Her Majesty put on a brave face and selflessly faced her adoring public.
2002 marked the beginnings of the modern technological age, and photos from the Golden Jubilee were shared via the World Wide Web.
The Queen celebrated her 60th year on the throne in 2012 - famously ‘jumping out a plane’ with James Bond actor Daniel Craig.
2022 - Platinum Jubilee
It’s hard to believe that the soaring heights we experienced during the Platinum Jubilee took place only a few months ago.
Still reeling from the death of her faithful husband, The Queen greeted throngs of cheerful Britons from the Royal Balcony as the nation put its economic woes behind them to focus on more important matters.
The Platinum Jubilee concluded the greatest story Britain has ever known. Within three months, Her Majesty passed away and passed the throne on to her son, Prince Charles.
Writing this retrospective took a while due to sheer emotion involved. At this most delicate and tender time, we must reflect on the previous 70 years and accept that Elizabeth II’s greatness will never be duplicated.
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