On her twenty-first birthday, 21 April 1947, Princess Elizabeth was with her parents and younger sister on a tour of South Africa. In a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town, the Princess dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth.

Here you can find the link for the official speech

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by federica dal zotto

The Queen's 1957 Christmas Broadcast was an historic event, as it was the first to be televised. It was also the 25th anniversary of the first Christmas Broadcast on the radio. The broadcast was made live from the Long Library at Sandringham, Norfolk.

After a scathing magazine article criticizes the queen’s relatability and speech-making style, she explores new ways to better connect with the British people. A few months later, a nervous Elizabeth is in front of the camera warmly addressing her subjects during her first televised Royal Christmas Message, beginning a tradition she would continue to observe for the next 64 years. 

Here you can find the link for the official speech. 

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by federica dal zotto

Only 4 days before the speech, a fire rips through Windsor Castle and destroys 100 rooms and exacts damages at a cost of more than £36.5 million to restore and repair. This was only the last occurence that year, as Queen Elizabeth II called 1992 her “annus horribilis,” or horrible year, in a speech marking the 40^th year of her reign, saying: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an 'Annus Horribilis'.

Here you can find the link of the official speech.

Associated Places

by federica dal zotto