Accession
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born 21 April 1926; acceded to the throne 6 February 1952; and died 8 September 2022. She was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, and her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch, the second-longest of any sovereign state, and the longest of any queen regnant in history.
In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of Kenya and on 6 February, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after a night spent at Treetops Hotel, when word arrived of the death of Elizabeth's father. She retained Elizabeth as her regnal name.
8 February 1952
“The whole Nation and Empire was plunged into deep and sudden sorrow on Wednesday morning by the news of the passing of King George VI, who died peacefully in his sleep at Sandringham that morning.
Princess Elizabeth, who immediately became Queen, was informed on her father’s death while she was at the Royal Hunting Lodge near Nyeri in Kenya. She flew home yesterday.
The Canadian Cabinet on Wednesday proclaimed Princess Elizabeth as Queen Elizabeth II of Canada. In London the public proclamation will be made today (Friday) at 11am. Tentative arrangements have been made for it to be read from the balcony of Bideford Town Hall at 2.30pm today.“
Messages of sympathy with the Royal family, dispatched by civic leaders, reflected the deep sorrow with which the Torridge district heard of the sudden passing of King George VI. As the tragic news was confirmed and spread, flags already flying were lowered to half-mast while others were hoisted to the mast-head and then lowered. Ships alongside Bideford Quay wore their flags at half-mast. Bideford cinemas closed on Wednesday. Skippers of vessels in the Bristol Channel told one another of the news by radio telephone and when the m.v. Flexity came up river to Bideford on the afternoon tide her flag was already at half-mast.
On Wednesday evening a muffled peal was rung on the bells of Bideford Parish Church and at morning Communion special biddings were included. The passing bell was tolled at Torrington Parish Church by the Vicar’s Warden, Mr W E Kelly, and the bells will now stay silent until a muffled peal is rung on the day of the King’s funeral. At Appledore the passing bell was tolled for an hour on Wednesday and at the meeting of Northam Urban District Council in Committee members stood in silent tribute.
Events were cancelled.
15 February 1952
The nation is in mourning
“News of the King’s death came as a stunning blow. The shock of surprise can hardly have been equalled in living memory. A hush fell on our cities, towns and villages as the unexpected, dread news filtered through. The groups talking in lowered tones in the streets had only one topic. Local civic leaders and officials began to consult their records – and the files of this newspaper were readily made available – for procedure likely to be observed. A number of local engagements were cancelled, postponed or held in subdued form in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion. Window displays were changed, black ties and armbands appeared, flags flew at half-mast…the nation was in mourning.”
“Flowers from an Englishwoman’s garden were used to decorate Government House, Kenya, and Royal Lodge and Treetops Hotel, at Nyeri, Kenya, on the occasion of the recently and sadly interrupted visit of the Queen as Princess Elizabeth at the start of her Commonwealth tour. Five years ago Mrs Willson, whose mother, Mrs Tooth, and sister, Mrs I H Hewetson, live at Brantwood, Abbotsham Road, Bideford, went with her husband to live at Nyeri. Since then she has established a large and very lovely flower garden around her house. The beauty of the garden has become widely known in Kenya and it was at the request of the Governor that Mrs Willson supplied carnations, delphiniums, gladioli and chrysanthemums for the decoration. The decoration of Royal Lodge with flowers from her garden was undertaken by Mrs Willson herself.”
Bideford proclaims Queen Elizabeth.
Over 500 schoolchildren were among the crowds attending the Proclamation ceremony from Torrington Town Hall. Proceedings commenced with the sounding of a fanfare by young members of Torrington Town Band. After he had read the Proclamation the Mayor called for three cheers for the new Queen, which were heartily accorded, and ‘God Save the Queen’ was sung.
Bucks Mills and Clovelly mourn.
Memorial services at Bideford, Torrington, Northam, Appledore and Hartland
“Lord Fortescue, Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, and Lieut-Col E H W Bolitho, Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, received the following reply from Queen Elizabeth to their messages of condolence sent on behalf of the people of Devon and Cornwall: “I am sincerely grateful for your message. Please assure those for whom you speak that I deeply value their kindness and sympathy.”
“The history of Bideford is wrapped up with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and as the second Queen Elizabeth takes her place in the long line of men and women who have served this country so well as its leaders, the Burgesses of the town, casting their minds back to the old days, send a message of loyalty and good will and pray that her reign may be one of progress as that of her great ancestor was.”
In her Accession Declaration before nearly 200 Privy Councillors at St James’s Palace, the Queen said:
“Prayers were offered at Buckland Brewer Parish Church on Sunday last at all services in connection with the passing of our beloved King. A parish memorial service will be held at the Parish Church on Sunday, February 17th at 2.30pm, at which it is hoped public bodies and private individuals will be fully represented.”
22 February 1952
“Friday was a day of deep mourning. The large congregations at all memorial services and the tributes in the addresses spoke of our heartfelt loss. When the maroon was discharged at Bideford Quay to mark the beginning of the two minutes’ silence the mournful cries of the disturbed gulls were the only strident noises to break the silence. People stopped in their walking, whether were on the pavement or road; cars came to a halt, engines were switched off and many drivers and passengers got out to stand beside the vehicles; the busy hum of works machinery and of shopping trade was stilled. One could not fail to be deeply moved by the solemnity of the occasion.”
“Among the thousands of floral tributes, grand and humble alike, sent to the funeral of his late Majesty, was one in the shape of an anchor from Bideford in memory of a great Sea King. On the evening of the funeral, the Mayor of Bideford, Mr W H Copp, received a telephone call from Pillhead House, Bideford, the home of Lieut-Col and Mrs M P Ansell, to say that their schoolboy son, Nicholas, who had a privileged view of the funeral at Windsor, had seen the Bideford floral tribute, conspicuously displayed. Naturally, it gave him quite a thrill to notice it, as it did the Mayor and Town Clerk of Bideford and others who visited Windsor early this week.”
