February 6, 1952 – February 6, 2022…70 years ago, on the death of her father George VI, Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom at the age of 25. Today, Elizabeth II celebrates this Sunday the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne of England. However, Elisabeth II was not really supposed to become queen.
Niece of King George V, she was only 3rd in the order of succession, after her uncle and her father. His uncle, Edward VIII, who will abdicate a few months after the start of his reign in 1936 and cause a constitutional crisis by marrying castle of Candé in Monts in Indre-et-Loire an American who was about to divorce a second time.
Elisabeth II always resented her uncle – Stéphane Bern
An abdication which never passed with Elisabeth II explains Stéphane Bern, animator and specialist in royalty: “She has always resented her uncle because she is convinced that his abdication caused the nervousness of her father George VI who pushed him because of a stutter to smoke because he had been told that his stutter would pass by smoking. In the end, George VI died of lung cancer and therefore, Elizabeth II has always accused this abdication of having caused the premature death of her father. However, the United Kingdom was very lucky to have a woman like that who brought the British monarchy into the 21st century by ensuring that the institution is still as popular as ever. 70 years later, Elizabeth II enjoys 85 to 87% favorable opinion, I don’t know how many heads of state in the world can claim such popularity after such a long life on the throne“.
Edward VIII did well to abdicate
Sir Rob Young is a subject of Her Majesty. This former British crown diplomat, now retired in Artannes-sur-Indre near Azay-le-Rideau, had the opportunity to look into this abdication of Edward VIII: “I still think he did us a favor by abdicating when you see the years that followed, but it’s still an asset here in Touraine to have had this wedding at the Château de Candé and to be able to use this place as a window on the history of the royal family“.