This superb book tells us a story about young princess nicknamed “Lilibet“, who was born on April 21, 1926. She lived a long life and died at age 96 (September 8, 2022). The story in the book is arranged in chronological order and starts with her parents – Albert, Duke of York and a noble lady called Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
Princess Elizabeth was always meant to be a princess and never the Queen, because her uncle Edward would become the King of United Kingdom. It was so until the year 1936, when everything changed. King George V died and thus the new King would be uncle Edward (King Edward VIII). But he loved so much an American lady Wallis Simpson, who was divorced. So he decided to resign and not to be the King. The big event of coronation of Elizabeth´s parents at Westminster Abbey took place in 1937. Elizabeth and her sister Margaret were fidgeting, because for them it was very long and boring day.
In 1939 the royal family sailed to Devon to visit a college, where officers were trained and it was there Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark – her future husband.
In 1940 during bombing of London Elizabeth was in Windsor instead of being evacuated and made her first speech on BBC Radio´s Children´s Hour programm. She was then only 14. When she was 16, she registered for war work at the Labour Exchange, because she wanted to be useful. In 1945 she joined the women´s branch of the army, so she learned to change wheels and take apart car engines.
Year 1947 was a happy year for her, because she got married to Philip. The princess was stunning in ivory silk, embroidered with flowers in Westminster Abbey. The book ends with her coronation as Queen in 1953. The young princess did not know, that she would rule her people for longer than any other king or queen in the British history and thus become a record-breaker.
The book provides superb illustrations and glossary with ten words at the end of the book. There is another book in our library available: „Our Queen Elizabeth“ written by Kate Williams which provides the story about her adult life period as a Queen.
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Published: Wren & Rook, 2021
Illustrated: Pauline Reeves
Check from the e-catalogue ESTER.
Katrin Antonenko
Department of Literature in Foreign Languages