Queen Elizabeth dies: Last time UK grieved death of monarch was George VI in 1952
LONDON – The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, now puts the United Kingdom in a situation it has not experienced in 70 years.
Elizabeth, 96, died Thursday. She ascended to the throne upon the death of her father, George VI, who died on Feb. 6, 1952, after reigning for 16 years. Elizabeth’s reign covered 14 U.S. presidents, and many residents in Great Britain have known no other monarch.
The death of Elizabeth’s father was more of a surprise, as George VI was only 56.
How did the British nation — and world leaders — react to the death of George?
Movie theaters were closed and television programs were canceled as stations covered the event, and Parliament was adjourned in a show of respect for the dead monarch.
The country had a new sovereign.
“Elizabeth the Second – Girl of 25 comes to the Throne,” the Daily Mail headline proclaimed on Feb. 7, 1952.
George VI died suddenly in his sleep on Feb. 6 at his 20,000-acre estate at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England. The health of the king, who suffered from lung cancer and had an operation four months earlier for a lung resection, had been kept a secret.
“To everybody he appeared to be in the very best of health,” The Evening Standard reported.
Queen Elizabeth II, right and Princess Margaret Rose wore black veils in the mourning cortege for their father, George VI, on Feb. 11, 1952.
George’s father — and Elizabeth’s grandfather — George V, also died at Sandringham House, on Jan 20, 1936.
Elizabeth was in Kenya touring the Commonwealth nations when her father died.
The Evening Standard was the first newspaper to report on the king’s death. Its banner headline read, “The King is Dead,” with a subhead that noted “Peaceful end in his sleep.”
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“The Evening Standard announces with deep regret that the King died early this morning,” the newspaper led in large type beneath the headline.
“The King, who retired to rest last night in his usual health, passed peacefully away in his sleep early this morning,” it was announced in a statement from Sandringham House.
On Feb. 7, the Daily Mirror reported that the king’s valet found the monarch dead, writing that “He called softly to his master – but there was no answer.”
The king’s last public appearance was at London Airport a week before his death, The Guardian reported at the time.
Nothing seemed unusual on the day George VI died. The Daily Mirror reported that the king was “out shooting” on his estate early that day.
“He lunched at the Flitcham village hall, and did not return to Sandringham until dusk,” the newspaper reported, adding that the king had “bagged nine hares” during his hunt.
The Duke of Windsor — who, as Edward VIII, abdicated in December 1936, a move that elevated his younger brother to the throne — sailed for England from New York on the Queen Mary.
The coffin of George VI, draped with the royal standard, was carried by soldiers at his funeral on Feb. 15, 1952. On the top of the coffin are symbols of royalty, a crown, scepter and orb.
Upon the death of the king, the Proclamation of Accession was signed by the Privy Council at St. James Palace and was read publicly.
“Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our late sovereign lord King George the Sixth of blessed and glorious memory by whose decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary: we therefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm being here assisted with these his late Majesty’s Privy Council with representatives of other members of the Commonwealth with other Principal Gentlemen of quality with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of London do now hereby with one Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is now by the death of our late sovereign of happy memory become Queen Elizabeth the Second by the grace of God,” the proclamation read. “Queen of this realm and of her other realms and territories, head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the faith to whom her lieges do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and humble Affection beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Princess Elizabeth the second with long and happy years to reign over us. God save the Queen.”
The king’s body was taken to Parliament in London to lie in state. “The Royal bier (will be) erected on the same spot in the historic hall adjoining Parliament where his father also lay in State,” the Daily Mirror reported.
News of the king’s death arrived in Washington in a “priority” telegram from the U.S. embassy in London at 7:05 a.m. EST on Feb. 6.
President Harry Truman, who sent a telegram after hearing of the king’s death, said in a statement that George “was ever conscious of his obligations as sovereign” and was a “champion of personal liberty and those free institutions which ruthless dictators despise.”
“He shared to the end of his reign all the hardships and austerities which evil days imposed on the brave British people,” Truman said. “In return he received from the people of the whole Commonwealth a love and devotion which went beyond the usual relationship of a King and his subjects.”
President Harry Truman expressed his condolences after hearing of the death of King George VI in 1952.
Former President Herbert Hoover called George VI “the symbol of a great democracy, greatly loved and respected by all elements of his people.”
British troops fighting in Korea received the news “in stunned silence,” UPI reported. The soldiers continued to fight until commanders announced plans to mourn the king.
In Vatican City, Pope Pius XII expressed “great sorrow” and sent a telegram of condolences. U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie also sent British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden a telegram.
Leaders from the Commonwealth nations were stunned by the news. Leslie Frost, the premier of Ontario, Canada, said he was shocked and grieved. In Australia, Prime Minister Robert Gordon Menzies announced the news in Parliament, which promptly adjourned.
Swiss radio paid tribute to George by playing “God Save the King.”
“In this grave hour, the entire Swiss people express their sympathy for the British peoples whom they were always bound in close friendship.”
In the Netherlands, Queen Juliana sent a telegram expressing her condolences. Italy’s premier, Alcide de Gasperi, said that “I, the Italian people and the Italian government join in the sorrow of Britain.”
Hoover expressed the hope that Elizabeth II “may bring another era of greatness to her people.”
Information from online newspaper archives were used in compiling this report.
1936: Princess Elizabeth sitting on a garden seat with two corgi dogs at her home on 145 Piccadilly, London, in July 1936.
1936: Princess Elizabeth walks one of her corgi dogs in London’s Hyde Park in 1936.
1944: Princess Elizabeth holding Sue, a corgi pup, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on May 30, 1944.
1945: Princess Elizabeth, standing by an Auxiliary Territorial Service first aid truck wearing an officer’s uniform.
1947: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip leaving Westminister Abbey after their royal wedding on Nov. 20, 1947.
1947: Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, with her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, after their marriage on Nov. 20, 1947.
1951: Princess Elizabeth of England represents the King at a colorful trooping ceremony on June 7, 1951.
1952: Queen Elizabeth II of England at Balmoral Castle with one of her corgis on Sept. 28, 1952.
1953: Queen Elizabeth II wearing a gown designed by Norman Hartnell for her coronation ceremony on June 4, 1953.
1960: The queen mother (left) with young Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II at Princess Margaret’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 1960.
1965: Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Munich on an official visit to West Germany on May 27, 1965.
1967: The queen during the 1967 State Opening of Parliament.
1967: London, Liverpool Street Station, Queen Elizabeth Ii And Her Dog Gorgie In January 1967. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
1968: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend a service for the Order of St. Michael and St. George at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, on July 24, 1968.
1968: Queen Elizabeth at Liverpool Street Station with two of her pet corgis on Feb. 8, 1968.
1970: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smiles radiantly during a picture-taking session in the salon at Sandringham House on Feb. 4, 1970. Her pet dog looks up at her.
1970: Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to New Zealand in March 1970.
1972: Queen Elizabeth II with her dogs in her study in 1972.
1972: Queen Elizabeth II with her dogs at Liverpool Street Station in London on Dec. 28, 1972.
1974: Queen Elizabeth ll arrives at Aberdeen Airport with her corgis to start her holidays in Balmoral, Scotland, in 1974.
1976: Queen Elizabeth II with one of her favorite dogs at the Badminton Horse Trials in April 1976.
1977: Queen Elizabeth II poses for a silver jubilee portrait in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace on Feb. 6, 1977.
1978: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England with the Imperial State Crown.
Circa 1980: Queen Elizabeth II relaxes at Sandringham with her corgis.
Circa 1980: Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a green coat and matching hat, laughing as she attends the Royal Windsor Horse Show, held at Home Park in Windsor, Berkshire, England, Great Britain, circa 1980.
1980: Queen Elizabeth II at a banquet during an official visit to Switzerland.
1982: The queen and Prince Philip chatting during the Royal Windsor Horse Show on the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 16, 1982.
1987: The queen in the green room at Windsor Castle on Nov. 20, 1987.
1992: Queen Elizabeth II wearing a formal evening dress for a banquet on board the Royal Yacht Britannia during her visit to France on June 11, 1992.
2004: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II delivers her speech in the chamber of the House of Lords, Westminster, in London on Nov. 23, 2004. Security was the key theme of the queen’s speech.
2006: Queen Elizabeth ll wears the Imperial State Crown at the state opening of Parliament on Nov. 15, 2006, in London.
2008: Queen Elizabeth ll attends a state banquet at Brdo Castle on the first day of a state visit to Slovenia on October 21, 2008, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2008: Queen Elizabeth II attends a state banquet at the Philharmonic Hall on the first day of a tour of Slovakia on October 23, 2008, in Bratislava, Slovakia.
2010: Queen Elizabeth II leaves the Venue Cymru Arena after a visit on April 27, 2010, in Llandudno, Wales. The queen and Duke of Edinburgh are on a two-day visit to North Wales.
2015: Queen Elizabeth II meets guests during a state banquet at the Schloss Bellevue Palace on the second day of a four-day state visit on June 24, 2015, in Berlin.
2015: Queen Elizabeth II prepares to greet Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev at Buckingham Palace on November 4, 2015, in London.
2016: Queen Elizabeth II tours Queen Mother Square on October 27, 2016, in Poundbury, Dorset.
2018: Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visit Chester Town Hall on June 14, 2018, in Chester, England.
2018: Queen Elizabeth II during the state banquet in Buckingham Palace on October 23, 2018, in London, United Kingdom.
2019: Queen Elizabeth II watches her hoses Lancer IV and Tower Bridge compete at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Home Park on May 8, 2019, in Windsor, England.
2019: Queen Elizabeth II attends the Order of the Garter service at St. George’s Chapel on June 17, 2019, in Windsor, England.
2019: Queen Elizabeth II attends the Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2019, in Ascot, England.
2019: Queen Elizabeth II and Charles, Prince of Wales, attend the state opening of Parliament in the House of Lords chamber on December 19, 2019, in London.
2019: Queen Elizabeth II talks to guests at an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace on December 11, 2019, in London.
2020: Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the headquarters of MI5 at Thames House on February 25, 2020, in London. MI5 is the United Kingdom’s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency.
2020: Queen Elizabeth II rides Balmoral Fern, a 14-year-old fell pony, in Windsor Home Park in May 2020 in Windsor, England.
2020: In this photo illustration, Anne, Princess Royal, and Queen Elizabeth II speak to carers via video call to mark Carers Week 2020 on June 11, 2020, in London.
2020: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II speaks with staff during a visit to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down science park on October 15, 2020, near Salisbury, England.
2020: Queen Elizabeth II (left) talks with Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as they wait to thank local volunteers and key workers for the work they are doing during the coronavirus pandemic and over Christmas in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle on December 8, 2020, in Windsor, England.
2021: In this undated image released on March 7, 2021, Queen Elizabeth II signs her annual Commonwealth Day Message in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, to mark Commonwealth Day, in Windsor, England.
2021: Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the Royal Australian Air Force Memorial on March 31, 2021, near Egham, England.
2021: Queen Elizabeth II follows Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin during his funeral at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021, in Windsor, England.
2021: Queen Elizabeth II watches as pallbearers carry the coffin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, into St. George’s Chapel by the pallbearers during his funeral at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021, in Windsor, United Kingdom.
2021: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, right, walks with U.S. President Joe Biden during his visit to Windsor Castle, near London, on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
2021: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, greet guests at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021.
2022: In this photo released by Royal Windsor Horse Show on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, and taken in March 2022, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II poses for a photo with her Fell ponies Bybeck Nightingale, right, and Bybeck Katie on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Windsor.
2022: Queen Elizabeth II watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade the Trooping the Colour parade on June 2, 2022, in London.
2022: Queen Elizabeth greets newly elected leader of the Conservative Party Liz Truss as she arrives at Balmoral Castle for an audience where she will be invited to become Prime Minister and form a new government on September 6, 2022, in Aberdeen, Scotland.
India Rodgers, 3, lays flowers outside the British Embassy after the death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced on September 8, 2022, in Washington, DC.
US President Joe Biden signs a condolences book with First Lady Jill Biden while paying respects following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, at the British embassy in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.
The Empire State Building in New York City lit up in purple and sparkled in silver n tribute to Queen Elizabeth II who died on Thursday at the age of 96, ending the longest reign of any British monarch, in New York on September 8, 2022.
The lights of the Eiffel Tower are turned off in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022, in Paris.
A sign adorns the steps to Parliament House on September 9, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia.
A sign adorns the steps to Parliament House on September 9, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Administrator of the State of NSW Andrew Bell carry floral tributes for Queen Elizabeth II at Government House on September 9, 2022 in Sydney, Australia.
Floral tributes for Queen Elizabeth II are seen at Government House on September 9, 2022, in Sydney, Australia.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, watched by the Governor-General’s husband Dr. Richard Davies, marks the death of Queen Elizabeth II by signing the official condolence book at parliament on September 9, 2022, in Wellington, New Zealand.
Flags on the Harbour Bridge fly at half mast on September 9, 2022, in Auckland, New Zealand.
A billboard paying tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth II is pictured on a central city street corner on September 9, 2022, in Auckland, New Zealand.
Members of a ballet company lay flowers outside the British embassy following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in Tokyo on September 9, 2022.
A woman arrives with flowers outside the British High Commission gate to mourn the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in Singapore on September 9, 2022.
A sign is seen in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after her death was announced on September 8, 2022, in Toronto, Ontario.
