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In 1946, Elizabeth was engaged to Lt. Philip Mountbatten – then Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. But her father requested that the news of her engagement not be announced until she turns 21.
For his birthday, he gave a speech during a tour of South Africa that was broadcast on radio throughout the Commonwealth. “I declare before all of you that my whole life, whether long or short, will be devoted to your service and the service of the great imperial family we have,” he said.
The couple married in a relatively simple ceremony at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. Elizabeth had to collect clothing coupons for her dress as England was still recovering from the war.
They had Elizabeth’s first child, and heir, Charles – the future Prince of Wales – on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace. Their second child, Anne, was born in 1950.
When Philip was stationed in Malta on naval duty, Princess Elizabeth visited him four times. However, after King George was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1951 and underwent surgery to remove part of his lung, Elizabeth had to take on other royal duties.
On February 6, 1952, while in rural Kenya, Elizabeth received news from her husband that her father had died, which meant he would ascend the throne. Her tour was abandoned, and the young woman who had flown to East Africa as a princess returned to England as a queen.
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