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2. From Princess to Queen

As illness beset her father, Princess Elizabeth's life was to be permanently changed with, as James Naughtie shows, lasting consequences for her, Britain and the Commonwealth.

In the second episode of Radio 4's new podcast on the life of Elizabeth II, James Naughtie looks at the dramatic change that transformed Princess Elizabeth's life much earlier than she had anticipated. She and Prince Philip, together with their two young children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, had been living on the island of Malta where he was serving with the Royal Navy. Early in 1952, the royal couple embarked on an extensive foreign tour and it was in East Africa that they received shattering news from home.

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15 minutes

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1. The Princess, the War and a Greek Prince

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Podcast

  • The Queen Remembered

    James Naughtie presents a special podcast marking the life of Her Majesty the Queen.