Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, rides within the Gold State Coach alongside the Mall in London, on June 4, 2002. (Richard Lewis / AP)
LONDON --
When 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth was proclaimed queen on Feb. 6, 1952, the British Empire stretched the world over, royalty was extensively revered and televisions have been nonetheless a novelty merchandise.
The world has undergone profound adjustments since then and so has the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II's empire shrank, then crumbled. Whereas most individuals in Britain stay loyal to the queen and respect her years of service to the nation, attitudes in regards to the monarchy have swung from unquestioning deference to scrutiny. Within the Eighties, Princess Diana introduced world star energy to the Home of Windsor, but in addition ushered in an period by which the Royal Household was pressured to barter an uneasy relationship with the media.
Over her 70-year reign, the queen has -- at occasions reluctantly -- overseen the modernization of the household generally known as "The Agency" and its adaptation to evolving expectations.
As Britain marks the 95-year-old monarch's Platinum Jubilee on Sunday, here is a take a look at some key moments of change:
1953: ELIZABETH'S CORONATION AND THE AGE OF TELEVISION
On June 2, 1953, Elizabeth's coronation at Westminster Abbey was the primary time most individuals had watched an occasion stay on tv. Hundreds of thousands all over the world noticed the ceremony on TV, outnumbering the radio viewers for the primary time.
The coronation broadcast heralded a turning level for tv --- in addition to the monarchy -- making the Windsors appear way more actual by bringing them into folks's dwelling rooms.
In 1957, the queen made her first televised Christmas broadcast, saying she hoped the brand new medium would make her message "extra private and direct."
"It's inevitable that I ought to appear a fairly distant determine to a lot of you. However now, not less than for a couple of minutes, I welcome you to the peace of my own residence," she stated on the time.
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1957: 'WINDS OF CHANGE' AS THE COLONIES BREAK AWAY
In 1957, Ghana grew to become the primary British colony in Africa to have a good time independence. Three years later, then British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made his well-known "winds of change" speech in South Africa, telling lawmakers there that "whether or not we prefer it or not, this development of nationwide consciousness is a political truth."
By 1970, most of Britain's African and Caribbean colonies had gained independence. In 1997, the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese language rule marked the ultimate chapter of the British Empire.
Britain nonetheless has pockets of abroad territories, the biggest of which is the Falkland Islands. The queen stays the pinnacle of state in 15 Commonwealth international locations together with Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
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1970: FIRST ROYAL 'WALKABOUT'
In one other shift with the occasions, the queen carried out the primary royal "walkabout" -- which sees members of the Royal Household greeting, chatting and shaking arms with bizarre folks at public occasions -- in Sydney, throughout a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand.
The follow has since grow to be a key a part of the royals' public relations technique. Princess Diana maybe greatest embodied the facility of such outings, showcasing her empathy and knack for connecting with folks as she walked amongst adoring well-wishers.
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Nineteen Nineties: PRINCESS DIANA AND A TURBULENT ERA
Diana's fairy-tale wedding ceremony to Prince Charles in 1981 introduced youthful glamour and irresistible star energy to the Home of Windsor. However the very public manner the couple's marriage disintegrated eroded respect for the monarchy.
The Nineteen Nineties noticed the monarchy's reputation sink to new lows as Royal Household dramas -- from tell-all interviews to embarrassing cellphone conversations and topless pictures -- continued to play out in public like cleaning soap operas. In 1992, the queen famously referred to her fortieth 12 months on the throne as her "annus horribilis" (horrible 12 months) because the marriages of three of her 4 youngsters collapsed.
1997: DIANA'S DEATH AND A CHANGE OF TONE FOR THE MONARCHY
When Diana died in a Paris automotive crash in August 1997, the queen was extensively criticized for her perceived aloofness and being out of contact with the grieving nation.
Many have been offended on the royals' failure to decrease the flag at Buckingham Palace and on the queen's choice to remain secluded along with her household at Balmoral Fort in Scotland. After days of intense stress, the queen lastly broke her silence, addressing the nation on tv as "your queen and grandmother" and acknowledging that "we've got all been making an attempt in our other ways to manage."
2011: ELIZABETH'S STATE VISIT TO IRELAND
In Might 2011, the queen grew to become the primary British monarch to set foot in Eire in 100 years. King George V visited in 1911, a decade earlier than the creation of the Irish Free State. The queen spoke of her honest sympathy for all those that suffered due to the 2 international locations' "troubled previous," and the journey was extensively praised as a historic second of reconciliation.
2012: DIAMOND JUBILEE AND THE LONDON OLYMPICS
The queen's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating her 60 years on the throne, marked a interval of file reputation for the queen and the Royal Household. The nationwide temper of jubilation and help for the queen was boosted by Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding ceremony a 12 months earlier and normal euphoria as London hosted the 2012 Summer time Olympics.
2020: 'MEGXIT' AND PRINCE ANDREW'S TROUBLES
Lately the Royal Household has been buffeted by two unprecedented PR disasters: the departure of Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan to the U.S., citing intense media scrutiny and racist attitudes among the many British media, and rising intercourse abuse allegations towards Prince Andrew, the queen's center son.
Harry and Meghan, who stepped downed from their royal duties in 2020, have accused the Royal Household of racism and known as out its lack of compassion for Meghan's psychological well being struggles. Harry has overtly and repeatedly criticized the Royal Household for the way in which he was introduced up.
In the meantime, Andrew is preventing a U.S. lawsuit filed by a girl who says she was pressured to have intercourse with him when she was 17. Final month, Andrew was stripped of all his honorary navy titles in an obvious effort to distance him from the monarchy.
2021: THE DEATH OF PRINCE PHILIP
On April 9, 2021, the queen misplaced Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years and her "energy and keep" all through most of her life. A scaled-down, socially-distanced funeral was held amid coronavirus restrictions. Sombre photos of the queen sitting alone in St. George's Chapel have been a stark reminder that she was coming into the twilight years of her reign, with rising duties handed to her inheritor, Prince Charles.
Queen Elizabeth II, proper, waves to the crowds in Windsor Excessive Road, England, on June 3, 2002. (Dave Caulkin / AP)
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