In 1952, the sudden death of King George VI changed Elizabeth’s life for ever. The monarch was just 25 when she came to the throne. Winston Churchill was her first prime minister. Britain was still bandaging its war wounds and the Coronation sparked the biggest party since VE Day.
Up Next in The Queen's Diamond Decades
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The Queen's Diamond Decades - 1960s
The arrival of the 1960s found Britain in an optimistic mood. Post-war austerity had given way to something of a consumer boom and the times were changing. The Royal Family was expanding fast. The Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew in 1960, ten years after Princess Anne. And Prince Edward was born...
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The Queen's Diamond Decades - 1970s
The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated 25 years of marriage, and their daughter, Princess Anne, wed fellow equestrian Mark Phillips. But the Troubles in Ireland spread to mainland Britain, strikes forced a three-day working week, and a fuel crisis sparked food shortages and mounting discontent ac...
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The Queen's Diamond Decades - 1980s
When the 80s began, there was one question on everybody’s lips: whom would Prince Charles, the world’s most eligible bachelor, take for a bride? We soon had our answer and Lady Diana Spencer became famous around the world. A politically charged decade ended with the exhilarating fall of the Berli...
