Princess Elizabeth was young, unworldly and head over heels in love when she made a speech that would become the framework of her life. It was a jubilant time for the Heir Apparent, who was aching to become engaged to Philip Mountbatten, the handsome naval officer she had known since she was 12 years old. Her parents were well aware of their eldest daughter's plans, as she had told them the year before, but they had asked the lovebirds to take things slowly and postpone any engagement announcement.
Ita Buttrose
"I first saw the Queen in person with my school in 1954. We were all at the Sydney Showground waving flags, and Her Majesty and Prince Philip drove around in a jeep.
I felt she liked Australians. When I joined The Weekly years later, the folklore was that in 1954 Sir Frank Packer took two copies of the magazine hot off the press with the Queen on the cover with him to a function at Government House. He produced them from behind his back, saying, 'Here you are, Ma'am.' I believe she was quite chuffed. I mean, where do you find characters like that? I think she liked that we weren't bound by protocol."
It was 1947, the country had just come through a brutal war, and the King and Queen wanted Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to join them on an important tour of South Africa to shore up the Commonwealth. They were also well aware that this was the most important decision their Lilibet could make; choosing not just a romantic partner, but the man who would be called on to put his own career dreams aside and support their daughter when the time came for her to step up to the biggest job imaginable, that of monarch.
But if they ever had any doubts that Elizabeth was unaware of the demands of her destiny, that landmark speech broadcast around the world from Cape Town on her 21st birthday would have reassured them in spades.
This story is from the June 2022 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2022 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Where to go in 2024
Who doesn't love fantasising about their next trip? We've gone for lesser-known locations, and whether you're seeking bright lights, striking natural scenery, serenity or excitement, here's where you're sure to find it.
Money matters with Effie
Didn’t reach your financial goals in 2023? While a new year won’t wipe away pressures like rising costs, there are a few things you can do now to refresh your money mojo in 2024.
Bright stars in a rugged land
The hot, dusty opal fields around Lightning Ridge in outback NSW have traditionally been a man's world. Now The Weekly meets the women who have been struck by opal fever.
The gift of life
Maureen Elliott had just months to live when she went on St Vincent's Hospital's transplant list. Thirty years on she's one of the longest living heart-lung transplant recipients in the world.
An uncaged heart
After more than two years in Iranian jails, Kylie Moore-Gilbert has forged a new life that's brimming with love, and a determination to help others who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
The woman behind The King
As Sofia Coppola's biopic Priscilla readies to hit screens, we look back at the early life and great love of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley.
Say hello to the Cockatoo cake
When we put a call-out to our readers for their best children's cakes we were inundated with recipes, and this clever cockatoo was ahead of the flock.
The French revolution
Dawn French quit her sketch show because she felt so ugly. Now the \"roly-poly comedian\" wants us all to stop fretting about our faults. She talks body image, surviving the 1980s and owning her mistakes.
Trump's women
Will it be the jailhouse or the White House for Donald Trump this year? The women in his life could make all the difference.
Can you buy a good night's sleep?
Forty per cent of Australians have trouble sleeping, and the market has responded with a mind-boggling array of sleep aids. But do any of them actually work? The Weekly goes in search of slumber.
