Princess Elizabeth was born at 2.40am on April 21, 1926, at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. As George V’s first grand-daughter, she was said to have charmed the notoriously cantankerous King with her winning smile, blonde curls and determinedly sunny disposition.
The young princess was third in line to the throne and it was never expected that Elizabeth or “Lilibet” as she called herself would be Queen, so her childhood, while in the public eye, was relatively carefree.
Yet it was nevertheless a very royal upbringing, with Elizabeth raised by nannies and governesses, while her parents – Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Albert (“Bertie”) York – were busy with official duties.
In 1930, Elizabeth’s sister, Margaret, was born and the two princesses became inseparable under the tutelage of governess Marion Crawford or “Crawfie” as she was known to the girls. In London, the family lived at 145 Piccadilly and adopted the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park as their country retreat.
There, Elizabeth fell in love with the family’s first corgi, Dookie, and with the great outdoors and horse riding. Yet all that was about to change.
In 1936, Princess Elizabeth’s uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated after just 325 days on the throne, choosing “the woman I love”, American divorcee Wallis Simpson, over public office. His brother, Bertie, was thrust into the spotlight and crowned King George VI, with his family relocating to Buckingham Palace.
Princess Margaret reportedly asked her sister, “Does this mean you’re going to become Queen?”, with Elizabeth calmly responding, “Yes, I suppose it does”.
Behind the scenes, though, there was much work to be done. Suddenly, Elizabeth needed to be groomed for the highest office in the land, so her education was stepped up a notch to include matters of state. Her natural diligence and innate sense of duty meant she rose to the occasion. With their sights on rebuilding a strong monarchy, the royal family united and the King was often heard referring to them as “we four”.
During World War II, the teenage princesses were evacuated to Windsor Castle and, in 1945, joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, where Elizabeth worked as a mechanic and driver to help the war effort.
As the most eligible young woman in Britain, Elizabeth started to attend society balls and, despite the heavy weight of expectation on her shoulders, she shone. There was no doubt this was a Queen in the making.
It’s hardly possible to believe that at just 25 years of age, Queen Elizabeth embarked on a journey that would see her crowned as England’s longest reigning monarch.
Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, looks lovingly into the face of her one-month-old baby, her first-born child, the future Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth was christened in Buckingham Palace with water from the River Jordan. Like most babies, she reportedly cried throughout the ceremony.
“Elizabeth had a warmer upbringing than many of the children of the great aristocratic dynasties of inter-war Britain,” says royal biographer Andrew Marr. “Hers was a close, physically a ectionate family.”
A young Princess Elizabeth clutching a string of beads around her neck.
Princess Elizabeth is photographed with her parents, Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and Elizabeth, the Duchess of York.
Princess Elizabeth is photographed next to her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, and her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York.
Future King and Queen, George, Duke of York and Elizabeth, Duchess of York, with their daughter, Princesses Elizabeth and their niece, Diana.
Princess Elizabeth with two corgis, Dookie and Jane, at her Piccadilly London home.
The young Princess Elizabeth riding her tricycle in Hyde Park.
Princess Elizabeth, in her coat, exits a car in London.
Princess Elizabeth holding a corgi on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Elizabeth and Margaret in a war effort fundraising pantomime of Aladdin in 1943.
Princesses Elizabeth loved being a member of the Girl Guide movement, especially participating in the outdoor activities. Elizabeth joined in 1937.
Princess Elizabeth rides out in front of Buckingham Palace in the new Grenadier Guards insignia.
Princess Elizabeth reading a book in Buckingham Palace on July 19, 1946.
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