Kenya, a place where Elizabeth became queen

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip./COURTESY

On an official visit to the country representing her father King George VI, Queen Elizabeth slept a princess and woke up a queen.

Not in a capacity to travel due to illness, the King tasked his eldest daughter and her husband Prince Philip in representing the crown in a one month tour in commonwealth countries Kenya, Australia and New Zealand.

King George saw off his daughter which was the last time the two saw each other, and the young couple a companied with a small entourage left London on January 31st to Nairobi, Kenya.

It is recorded that upon reaching Nairobi, the late Queen traveled to a villa in Sagana, as a wedding treat gifted to them by the state.

In a period where our freedom fighters were fighting for the liberation of the country from the British colony, The Washington Post reports there were attempts to cancel the trip to the country due to security.

The Queen’s privacy and pleasure was prioritized as the paper writes local men with spears were positioned at the edge of the forest to deter journalists, out of concern for Elizabeth’s privacy and also because the smell of more humans would frighten the wildlife.

During the 5 day tour, the Queen enjoyed watching wildlife in Treetops Lodge, a game viewing lodge which due to the effects of Covid-19 pandemic got shut down.

The Guardian Newspaper reports that the lodge located in Nyeri was owned by Erick Walker and his wife Lady Bettie, daughter of the Earl of Denbigh 1952 it was the only place of its kind in the world.

On 6th of February 1952 after the death of the King in his sleep, then Prime Minister Winston was informed and wrote a telegram to Government House in Nairobi but interestingly could not be decoded because the keys to the safe holding codebook were unavailable.

However, a local newspaper editor broke the news to the queen’s entourage when requesting for confirmation of the death from the princess’s secretary, Martin Charteris and later to the queen who immediately in accordance with British tradition, Elizabeth had become queen.

The queen reigned for 70 years dying at the age of 96. Her husband of 74 years of marriage died in 2021 aged 99 years.

The two were blessed with 4 children Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

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