Prince Philip was right at the Queen's side when she heard the devastating news of her father's death, according to a royal source.
- Prince Philip was the one to tell the Queen of her father's death, according to a royal source.
- Princess Elizabeth of York was on a royal tour of Kenya with her husband when she heard the tragic news that King George VI had died.
- In other royal news, the Queen was pranked by her personal assistant during Australian royal engagement.
Prince Philip was the one to deliver the heartbreaking news to the Queen of her father's death—and to console the bereft monarch in her darkest hour.
Princess Elizabeth was on a royal tour of Kenya with her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, in early February 1952 when King George VI died suddenly after a complicated lung operation in London.
On the night of his passing, the young couple was staying at Sagana Lodge, a wedding present from the former colony's government. The King's untimely death left Elizabeth, the eldest of his two daughters, with the incredible duty of ascending the throne at the tender age of 25.
Princess Elizabeth II with Prince Philip in Kenya on 5 February 1952, one day before King George VI died
The Queen has now headed the Royal Family for nearly seven decades, a historic milestone that will soon be commemorated with her Platinum Jubilee 2022.
It's understood that the princess learned of her father's death through Prince Philip, who, in turn, had been told of the tragedy by his personal secretary, Mike Parker.
After turning the radio down to ensure she wouldn't hear what had happened from the press, the Duke escorted his wife into the gardens for a quiet walk. It was during this moment, pacing up and down the sunny lawn, that he chose to gently break the life-changing news.
Princess Elizabeth II and Prince Philip entering Sagara Lodge in Kenya
The intimate setting gave Her Majesty a rare moment of privacy away from the eyes of her royal courtiers, allowing her to absorb the shocking loss like any regular human being. She then respectfully asked for an hour alone in her room to process her grief, before emerging to discuss the practicalities of returning to Britain.
Princess Elizabeth II arrives in London on 7 February, 1952, for the first time as Queen
According to her royal secretary, Lord Charteris, the Queen was sitting at her desk and looking "very composed, absolute master of her fate" shortly after discovering the news of her father's death. She flew back to London the following day, to begin her new role as Head of State.
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