The New Sovereign ..and Her Consort

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 658, 15 February 1952, Page 6

The New Sovereign

..and Her Consort

UEEN ELIZABETH'’S Consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Corfu ort June 10, 1921, His father was Prince Andrew of Greece. When he was very young, the Duke went to England to be educated. He became a British subject in March, 1947, renouncing his right of succession to the Greek throne, for which he would have been fitth in the line. The Duke early showed his love of the sea and in 1939 left school to become a Naval cadet. At Dartmouth he was a brilliant student. He went to sea in January, 1940, as a midshipman in the battleship Ramillies, and after serving in cruisers joined the battleship Valiant in the Mediterranean Fleet. In the Battle of Cape Matapan in March, 1941, he was in charge of a section of searchlight control in the Valiant, and for his work in illuminating the Italian fleet during the action he was mentioned in despatches. When he became a sub-lieutenant, the Duke was appointed ‘to the destroyer Wallace. He was promoted lieutenant in July, 1942, becoming later that year one of the youngest officers to be second-in-command of a large destroyer. A year later he was on H.M.S. Wallace when she covered the Canadian beachhead at the Sicily landings. As first lieutenant in the destroyer Whelp, the Duke took part in the war against Japan. For a time he was A.D.C. to his uncle, then Lord Louis’ Mountbatten, and he was present when the Japanese suttendered in Tokyo Bay. When H.M.S. Whelp returned home in 1946 he commanded her for the last two months before she went into reserve. His ability as a leader was recognised in his appointment to posts in naval training establishments. The Duke took up duties at the Admiralty shortly before his marriage, but later temporarily went on half-pay because of his increasing public duties. Between August, 1949, \and July, 1951, the Duke again served in the navy. At first he was with H.M.S. Chequers, stationed at Malta, as first lieutenant, then, on promotion to lieutenant-commander, he took command of the antiaircraft frigate Magpie. He took this ship on courtesy vists to Turkey, ‘Greece and Italy. In July, 1951, he handed over command of the Magpie to go on indefinite leave, and it was announced that he would not receive any further naval ‘appointment till after the Royal tour of Australia and New Zealand. During ‘his last period of duty with the Navy, the Duke had special leave for visits to Greece and Italy with the Princess and for public engagements in Britain, and later he went with the Princess on the visits to Canada and the United States. The way in which the Duke carried out this public work has caused widespread favourable comment.

| HEN she broadcast to the Empire on her twenty-first birthday, the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, said: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial Family; but I shall not haye the strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me as I now invite you to do. I know your support will unfailingly be given. God help me to make good my vow and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it. If we all g0 forward together with unwavering faith, high courage and quiet heart we shall be able to make of this ancient Commonwealth an even grander thing-more free, prosperous and happy and a more powerful influence for good in the warld-than it has been in the greatest days of our forefathers." As this message of dedication showed, the life of the new Queen had prepared her well for the responsibilities which she has now assumed. The eldest daughter of the Duke of York, as the late King George VI. then was, Queen Elizabeth was born in a private house in London on April 21, 1926. She became heir to the throne at the age of ten, when King Edward VIII. gave up the throne. Early given a share of public duties, she made her first broadcast before she was fifteen years old. At eighteen she became eligible to ascend the Throne, if necessary, without the formation of a Regency. Some months before the war ended she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The betrothal of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, R.N., and Princess Elizabeth was announced on July 9, 1947, and on November 20 of the same year they were married. The King had just made the young lieutenant a Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, authorised his use of the prefix His Royal Highness, and created him Baron Greenwich, of Greenwich, Earl of Merioneth and Duke of Edinburgh. Among Queen Elizabeth's official duties during the years following her marriage were visits to France, Italy and Greece. These duties were interrupted towards the end of 1948 by the birth ot Prince Charles, and again in August, 1950, when her second child, Princess Anne, was born. The Royal couple’s most recent tour was to Canada and the United. States, a journey which was postponed because of the late King’s illness last year. Everywhere they were warmly received. Then it was announced that because of the state of the King’s health they would make the tour which he was to have made to Ceylon, Australia and New Zealand. The first stage of the journey had only just been completed when the death of the King was announced.