The Queen’s scrapbook: the best photos of her 70 years of reign

The whole UK is celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, one of the longest-lived sovereigns in history. More than her have reigned alone Louis XIV of France (72 years and 110 days), the Thai ruler King Bhumibol Adulyadej (70 years, 126 days) and king Johann II Liechtenstein (70 years, 91 days). He was the February 6, 1952 when Lilibeth, on the death of her father, King George VI, automatically became the queen of England (although the coronation took place on June 2, 1953). When the sovereign father, at the age of 56, passed away in sleep, 25-year-old Elizabeth and her husband, the Prince Philipwere in Kenya. They had replaced the king, too ill to travel, on a visit that should have included Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Elizabeth and Philip had left Heathrow airport on January 31st and the king had wanted to accompany them to the flight ladder. He stayed on the track to say hello to his daughter with her arm raised, and she smiled back through the porthole. It was the last time they met.

Cut off from communications, Lilibeth and her husband they learned of George VI’s death late. Philip was the first to be informed of her and it was he who told Lilibeth, after proposing a walk in the park. Towards evening her private secretary, Major Charteris, joined the queen in her room, finding her “sitting perfectly erect, with the air of who she was. ready to accept her fate“. It was he who asked her: “What name will Majesty take? “. And she: “Mine, of course … Elisabetta “.

Thus began, with a great pain faced with equal firmness of mind, the incredible seventy years on the throne of Elizabeth II. To remind us there are hundreds of beautiful photos (see gallery under). The first was taken in February 1952 at London airport, where Elizabeth ran after her father died. She had left for Kenya as a princess, she had returned (in spite of her) as a queen.

Leafing through the album of memories of his seventy years of reign means retracing the countless public meetings that have made history (those with five popes and thirteen American presidents, to say). But also (re) discovering so much private happiness – the birth of the children, the weddings of the grandchildren, the horseback riding, the good times with the beloved husband Filippo and those with a bevy of great-grandchildren – and as many personal dramas. As the death of the Duke of Edinburgh: in April 2021 the tears of the queen (due to Covid alone) at the funeral of Prince Philip moved the whole world. Elizabeth has been the sovereign of England for seventy years, and in seventy years she has faced more than a horribilis year. One was the 2020started wrong already in January, with thefarewell of Harry and Meghan to the royal family. Followed in the following months by an avalanche of gossip and bomb biographies (such as Finding freedom or Battle of Brothers) on the dukes of Sussex, on the reasons for their American “flight”, on their conflicts with the Windsors (in particular, the rift between Harry and his brother William made rivers of ink). As if that weren’t enough, royal dirty laundry also ended up on TV in November. The fourth season of the Netflix series The Crownpainting Elizabeth II as a frosty queen and impenetrable and tackling without too many frills Lady Diana’s eating disorders and Carlo’s relationship with Camillaleft his Majesty very discontented (according to gossip even horrified).

Much earlier, in November 1992giving a speech in honor of her fortieth anniversary to the throne of England, the queen described what was about to end as an “annus horribilis”. That year the Crown had been overwhelmed by a horribilis avalanche that began on March 19 with the announcement of Prince Andrew’s separation from Sarah Fergusoncontinued on April 23 with the divorce of Princess Anne by Mark Phillips, and culminating in June with previews of the book Diana. Its true story by Andrew Mortona detailed catalog of matrimonial recriminations in which the Princess of Wales defined herself “A sacrificial lamb brought to the slaughter on his wedding day”. The tragic picture was concluded by a further event: Windsor Castle was devoured by flames on November 20, 1992. The photos of the time show the sovereign, disconsolate, among the rubble. The Queen, despite her “annus horribilis”, did what she still does best today: keep calm and carry on. Always with a smile on her lips.

Do you want to see the most significant photos of the seventy years on the throne of Elizabeth II? Browse the gallery under.

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you

• Elizabeth II, the most iconic of the queens: the balance of 70 years of reign
• Platinum Jubilee, here is the “guide” to the Queen’s celebrations (day by day)
• Elizabeth II, sixty-nine years of reign started on a tree in Kenya
• Harry and Meghan will be in London (but not on the balcony) for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee