Queen Elizabeth II embarks on her 70th year as Monarch Today February 6th

It is exactly 69years since Princess Elizabeth, on a trip to Kenya, became Queen. What were the events that followed, and how prepared was the 25-year-oldIt was February 1952 and Princess Elizabeth was enjoying a short break in Kenya with Prince Philip, her husband of five years. It was a brief respite from their royal duties.

They were standing in for George VI on a long-planned international tour that was to also take in Australia and New Zealand. The 56-year-old King, thousands of miles away at Sandringham, had been too ill to travel.

The pair were relaxing at a game-viewing lodge, at the now-famous Treetops Hotel just over 100 miles (165km) from Nairobi. Elizabeth had spent the day of 5 February taking cine films of elephants at a nearby watering hole before retiring with the Duke of Edinburgh to their cabin high up in the trees. They spent the night surrounded by wild animals.

And it was here on 6 February, that the princess became Queen, after George VI passed away in his sleep.

The British hunter Jim Corbett, who was also staying at Treetops at the time, later wrote the now famous lines in the visitors' log book:

"For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and after having what she described as her most thrilling experience she climbed down from the tree next day a Queen."

At the time, however, Elizabeth had no knowledge of the event that was to change her life.

Because their location was so remote, the news of the King' s death took some time to reach the royal party. It came first to a senior courtier, who passed it to the princess's private secretary, Martin Charteris, who then telephoned Prince Philip's aide.

Elizabeth had returned to Sagana Lodge, a farm some 20 miles (32km) away that had been given to her by the Kenyan government as a wedding present, when Philip eventually broke the news to her.

After what would undoubtedly have been an emotional walk in the grounds with her husband, the 25-year-oldwho had become Queenput aside her grief to write letters apologising for cancelling the rest of her tour. Arrangements were made for her to return home immediately.

From Nairobi, theBBC's Frank Gillardfiled a report. "How tragic to think that even this morning, as she sat at breakfast, talking about her father, and proudly describing how bravely he'd stood up to his illness, how well he'd recovered - sitting there in her yellow bush shirt and brown slacks - even at that moment her father was lying dead and she had succeeded to his vast responsibilities."

Robert Lacey, author of A Brief Life of the Queen, says she would have been prepared for the news, even if her father's death from a coronary thrombosis was a shock.

"Her private secretary carried sealed envelopes containing a draft Accession Declaration. She was ready but it was a secret that was shared with few people."

It is said that she reacted stoically, and showed little immediate distress. "She was sitting erect, fully accepting her destiny," Martin Charteris is quoted as saying in Lacey's book. No-one saw any tears.

But royal historian and biographer Sarah Bradford is sure that she would have cried later, in private.

"Although she didn't show it in public, she absolutely adored him. They were very close. He was the one who brought her up in the ways of the monarch. She read state papers when she was still a princess. She saw heads of state in an informal way."

George VIhad waved off his daughter and her husband at London Airport on 31 January. He had had a series of operations for cancer, and his health was failing.

Princess Elizabeth had been carrying out more and more of his engagements, such as greeting foreign dignitaries andriding in the King's placefor the Trooping the Colour.

On a wet and cold February day, special black-bordered editions of the newspapers appeared on the streets of London, announcing George VI's death, at the age of 56.

The news of a royal death was very controlled in those days, says historian Hugo Vickers - who acted as a consultant for the film The King's Speech.

"They had a code at Sandringham which was 'Hyde Park Corner'. The private secretary in Sandringham rang Buckingham Palace and got the private secretary there. He would have said 'Hyde Park Corner' which meant that the King had died.

"That was his cue to go and see Queen Mary, and then Churchill to inform them of the news. All these people had to be told before it could be officially announced.

"He was a highly respected monarch, who'd had an awful reign. He had come to the throne unprepared, gone through the war, and then his health broke down. His death would have been much less sensational than it might be today, but the mood was more respectful - it wasn't a time for speculation."

Valerie Lowe, from Herefordshire, was 12 years old when George VI died. "We were in the art room at school when we saw the union jack being hoisted to half-mast.

"We started wondering who might have died. One imaginative child suggested that Princess Elizabeth might have been eaten by a lion on her safari.

"I don't think any of us guessed it was the King, in spite of knowing that he was in poor health. Then we were summoned to the school hall and given the news. We all felt very solemn, but also excited at the thought of the beautiful young Princess Elizabeth becoming Queen."

Princess Elizabeth formally proclaimed herself Queen and Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith on 8 February, at a 20-minute meeting at St James's Palace.

One hundred and fifty Lords of the Council, representatives from the Commonwealth, officials from the City of London and other dignitaries witnessed the Accession.

From her official proclamation Queen Elizabeth II read: "By the sudden death of my dear father I am called to assume the duties and responsibilities of sovereignty.

"My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than I shall always work, as my father did throughout his reign, to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples, spread as they are all the world over."

When George VI died, there were only around 1.5m television sets in a population of about 50m. Most people would have heard the news on the wireless, on the BBC's Home Service, or the popular Light Programme.

"The way the media covers royal events has completely changed. [Elizabeth's] father's funeral was, for her, a very private occasion," says Sarah Bradford.

George VI's body lay in state for three days in Westminster Hall. Some 300,000 people filed by to pay their respects, and he was buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor, on 15 February.

His funeral procession was televised, an event which helped to spark the first wave of mass television purchases.

But the funeral service was broadcast by sound only. At the time television was still seen as rather a vulgar medium by the establishment, and it would have been deemed to be an intrusion. The then Archbishop of Canterbury labelled it as "potentially one of the great dangers of the world".

The Queen's Coronation on 2 June 1953 (a day estimated by meteorologists to be the likeliest to produce sunshine that summer - although, of course, it rained) would be the first such event to be properly televised, and the first to be genuinely witnessed by the people.

Additional reporting: Melissa Hogenboom

The Twelfth Day Of Christmas:Epiphany

The presents have been opened, the puddings eaten and lots of TV has been watched - and now it feels like Christmas has been and gone for another year. 

But 6 January marks an important date for many people in the Christmas calendar.

That is because it is the date of something called Epiphany. 

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionEpiphany is a Christian festival that marks the day the three Wise Men went to visit the baby Jesus

What is Epiphany?

Epiphany - also known as Three Kings' Day - is a Christian festival, which starts on 6 January. 

It is a special date in the Christmas story as it's when people celebrate how a star led the Magi - also known as the Three kings or the Wise Men - to visit the baby Jesus after he had been born.

'Epiphany' comes from the Greek word meaning 'to reveal', as it is when the baby Jesus was 'revealed' to the world. 

This is why you might hear people say they've had an epiphany, when they've just realised something. 

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionHere, children are celebrating the Dia de los Reyes in New York

In some countries many families will take off 6 January and exchange presents. 

In Spain and Latin America, El Dia de los Reyes is just as important as Christmas Day itself. 

A bit like how you might leave a carrot and mince pie out on Christmas Eve, the night before El Día de los Reyes , children leave out drinks for the Three Kings and there are parades and fireworks displays to mark the occasion.

Eastern Orthodox Christians actually celebrate Christmas on Epiphany, so it's an important religious occasion.

What is Twelfth Night?

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The date of Epiphany also happens around the time for Twelfth Night too.

Traditionally, Twelfth Night marks the end of Christmas - 12 nights after Christmas. 

Even if you are not at all religious, Twelfth Night is important to a lot of people as all of the Christmas decorations must come down by the time the clock strikes midnight at the end of the day.

It is said to be bad luck if they stay up beyond this, so you may be busy taking down tinsel if you haven't done it already!

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

But the date of it is a little bit confusing. It can fall on 5 January or 6 January, according to different traditions.

If the 12 nights are counted from Christmas Day night itself, it falls on 5 January. Anglicans mark Twelfth Night on 5 January. 

But some other churches count it from the following day, which means Twelfth Night falls on 6 January.

 

Fourth Day Of Christmas

 

Fourth Day of Christmas 

 Childermas Day has been observed from very early in the history of the Church in commemoration of the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem by order of Herod, and in bygone times some of the horrors of the massacre were re-enacted in many households in the form of a smart whipping administered to the juvenile members of the family. Long ago the learned Gregory wrote: "It hath been a custom, and yet is, to whip up the children upon Innocents' Day morning, that the memory of Herod's murder of the innocents might stick the closer, and in a moderate proportion to act over the cruelties in kind." Considering the nature of the tragic events commemorated it is not surprising that Childermas has long borne the reputation of being the unluckiest day of the whole year.

Childmas is celebrated on the fourth day of Christmas and remembers the first martyrs of Christ Jesus.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."

Matthew 2:16-18

Herod the Great, who was governor of Galilee when Jesus was born, was an evil man who felt threatened when he heard that the King of the Jews had been born in Bethlehem. He sent the wise men who had seen the star the night Jesus was born to find the baby and to bring him back to him. The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod after they found the baby Jesus. When Herod figured out that he had been tricked, he decreed that all male children in Bethlehem under two years were to be killed.

Traditionally, the youngest child in the family gets to decide what to do during the day. Some food the color of red is served to remember the blood that was shed by these little babies. In the Hispanic countries like Spain and Mexico, it is a day like April Fool's Day where the children play tricks on their parents, like the wise men played on Herod.

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Mark 10:14-16

What are the lyrics to ‘The Coventry Carol’ about?

The lyrics rather disturbingly detail King Herod’s harrowing orders, made at the news of the birth of Jesus Christ, to slay all children known as the ‘Massacre of the Innocents’.

So not very cheery at all, which is why it’s set in that hauntingly sombre, but undeniably beautiful, minor melody.

Read more: Christmas carols in a minor key >

“Lullay” or “lully” is an archaic, onomatopoeic (imitating real life sounds) term – heard as its derivative lull [in proceedings] and lullaby still today.

“Bye, bye” the carol intones; “Herod the king, in his raging / Chargèd he hath this day / His men of might in his own sight / All young children to slay.”

The lyrics are heart-breaking; farewelling the children that Herod has ordered to be killed. Surely, the most poignant of the minor key traditional Christmas carols. 

Read more: Someone has put Silent Night into a minor key and it’s super creepy >

The Coventry Carol – Full Lyrics 

Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.
Thou little tiny child,
Bye bye, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay?”

Herod the king, in his raging,
Chargèd he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor child, for thee
ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
“Bye bye, lully, lullay.”

The Christmas Journey

 

Advent – the four weeks leading up to Christmas is called Advent. In the Tudor period, Advent was a time of fasting which ended on Christmas Day. The main days of celebration were Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Epiphany.

Twelve Days – The Twelve Days of Christmas (25th December to 5th January) were a time for communities to come together in the Tudor era. Farmers and agricultural labourers would stop working the land and spend time together. They went back to work on Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Night, or Epiphany (when the three wise men visited the baby Jesus).

Turkey – Turkeys were not introduced to Britain until about the 1520s. It is thought that Henry VIII was one of the first people to have turkey as part of his Christmas feast and this grew in popularity among wealthier people. Goose remained a more popular dish with labouring people until the Victorian period. To meet demand at Christmas, flocks of geese and turkeys were walked the one hundred miles from Norfolk to market in London. The journey took three months and the birds wore special leather boots to protect their feet!

Christmas Carols – The word carol comes from the Latin ‘caraula’ – a dance with a song. Carols were very popular in the Tudor period and they were used to spread the story of the Nativity. In the 17th century, Puritans banned all Christmas festivities and carol singing didn’t become popular again until Victorian times. Whilst the dance element seems to have disappeared over time, the songs celebrating Christmas have endured. 

Christmas Trees – In the Tudor period evergreens were used for decoration because they symbolised the promise of new life. Christmas trees as we know them, a decorated fir or spruce, didn’t become popular until the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). 

Lord of Misrule – As part of the Christmas festivities at the Tudor court a Lord of Misrule would be chosen by the monarch. It would be their job to arrange entertainment including processions, masques, plays and feasts, ensuring that everyone made merry over the course of the Twelve Days of Christmas. 

Mince Pies – Unlike a modern mince pie, Tudor mince pies contained meat, often mutton to represent the shepherds in the Nativity story. In the 16thcentury, mince pies contained 13 ingredients to symbolise Jesus and his 12 apostles. Many medieval recipes combined savoury and sweet, and dried fruit and spices had to be imported into the country making them expensive. Because the ingredients were costly, such spiced pies were not every day fare but were made as treats for special occasions like Easter and Christmas, which were also preceded by fasting. 

Gift Giving – In Tudor England, gift-giving took place on New Year’s Day among members of the upper classes. Gift-giving had great political significance and all royal gifts were recorded in a New Year’s Gift list. How a king or queen responded to a person’s gift was important and determined whether or not they were in royal favour. In 1532 Henry VIII made his feelings clear when he refused a gift from Catherine of Aragon but accepted one from Anne Boleyn. Henry and Anne went on to marry the following year.

Plays and Masques –Plays and masques were popular forms of entertainment throughout the year at court and they were especially integral to the feasts and entertainments at Christmas time. Twelfth Night was the highlight of the Christmas period and Shakespeare’s comedy of the same name was first staged in 1602 at the end of the Christmas season. The 25th of December was a minor feast in comparison!

Boy Bishops – The tradition of the Boy Bishop is one that has existed since the 10th century. A boy from the choir was chosen to lead the community in the church proceedings, apart from the mass. They would lead services from St Nicholas Day (6th December) to Holy Innocents Day (28th December). Henry VIII banned Boy Bishops in 1541 because it could be seen as mocking the church and therefore the king as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. The tradition of the Boy Bishop is still kept alive today by Hereford and Salisbury Cathedrals!

Kissing Bough – The Kissing Bough was one of the most popular Tudor Christmas decorations. Hoops were be woven from ash or willow wood and decorated with evergreens such as holly leaves. It would be hung over the threshold of the house and visitors would embrace underneath it as a gesture of goodwill. Over time, this would evolve to become the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.

Yule Log – On Christmas Eve the Yule Log would be brought into the home, decorated and lit. The log would burn through the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was thought to be good luck if you kept part of the log to use to light next year’s log with. 

The timing of the 12 days also varies. Eastern Orthodox Churches use a different religious calendar (the Julian calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar used by Western churches), so their 12 days of Christmas start on January 7 and runs through the Epiphany on January 19. And while Catholics celebrate the Epiphany as a single day, some Protestant churches celebrate it until Ash Wednesday, leading into the season of Lent and Easter.

Gift-giving customs also differ in some cultures. In Latin America, Christians hand out presents on January 6, which they celebrate as Three Kings Day, instead of December 25. And other cultures give gifts all 12 days. Don’t miss these 15 Christmas traditions from around the world.

The 12 days also honor a different feast or saint, before culminating in Twelfth Night, according to U.S. Catholic. They are:

Day 2 (December 26): St. Stephen’s Day, named for the first Christian martyr who was known for his service to the poor and was stoned to death in AD 36.

Day 3 (December 27): St. John the Apostle, a disciple of Jesus who wrote the Fourth Gospel.

Day 4 (December 28): Feast of the Holy Innocents, which remembers the baby boys that were killed when King Herod was looking for Jesus.

Day 5 (December 29): St. Thomas Becket, the former Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed in the twelfth century for challenging King Henry II’s authority over the church.

Day 7 (December 31): New Year’s Eve. One of the earliest popes, Sylvester I, is honored this day. Legend has it he converted the first Roman emperor Constantine to Christianity.

Day 8 (January 1): The feast day celebrates Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Day 9 (January 2): St. Gregory and St. Basil, two important church leaders during the fourth century, are honored on this day.

Day 12 (January 5): The Eve of the Epiphany.

For centuries, Europeans have held large parties to celebrate Twelfth Night, also known as Epiphany Eve. The day has long been a day of feasting in England, while the French and Spanish make a special “king’s cake” to mark the three wise men’s visit to Jesus. (This is why we kiss under the mistletoe.)

In an interesting twist, some Catholic scholars believe that the “12 Days of Christmas” carol, which first appeared in a children’s book in England in 1780, may have served as a teaching tool for persecuted Catholics in England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Next, check out the surprising history behind your favorite Christmas carols.

Christmas At Windsor Castle

 Christmas Exclusive 

The Christmas decorations are out at Windsor Castle! 🎅🎁

A 20-ft Norwegian Spruce was felled in the Great Park for St George's Hall (photos 2 and 3).

German-born Queen Charlotte, consort to George III, introduced the first Christmas tree 🎄 to Windsor in the late 1700s, in the form of a yew branch, but it was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who popularised it in Britain. 

The huge tree (photos 1, 4, 5) takes TWO full days to decorate, with 3,000 lights, and hundreds of iridescent ornaments. Quite beautiful!

The rest of the castle gets the festive treatment, too - including the Queen's Gallery (photo 6), and the Grand Staircase, furnished with a large collection of arms and armour (7).

A special display has been put on in the State Dining Room (8, 9, 10): the Grand Service is laid out to mark 200 years since George IV’s accession to the throne. 

The 4000+ piece silver-gilt dining set was commissioned by George (as Prince Regent) in 1806 and is used at State Banquets today.

 

These decorations can be seen from tomorrow (3rd December) as Windsor Castle opens up to visitors once more. 

Booking is essential - get tickets here https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle#/tickets

📸 - © Queen Elizabeth II/

@RCT