Silver Wedding Souvenir: Pride of Britain

This book, Silver Wedding Souvenir: Pride of Britain, was originally published in October 1972 under the title Silver Wedding Souvenir. The very attractive collection of colour photographs proved so popular that it was decided to reissue the book as Royal Family Souvenir.

A Few Excerpts and Photos:

This a pictorial record of the life of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh from the time of their engagement to the celebration of their Silver Wedding.

It is also a record of the work of those photographers who have specialised in photographing the royal scene and whose pictures have given so much pleasure to so many people.

The seventy-four colour illustrations were selected from more than six hundred. Generally they are arranged in chronological order except on pages where there is a special theme such as sport, fashions or foreign tours.

The Photographs:

The photograph of The Princess Elizabeth and her baby son is the superb work of Cecil Beaton. It was taken at Buckingham Palace in November 1948 a few days before the prince was christened. The family group on the terrace at Balmoral is one of the informal studies of The Queen and her family made by Patrick Lichfield in August 1972. Another is on the back cover. The front cover picture is by Reginald Davis.

Betrothal and Marriage:

On 19 July 1947 The Princess Elizabeth, elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, became engaged to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, R.N., who had served with distinction in the Royal Navy during the war as Prince Philip of Greece. The princess was 21, her fiancé 26.

Their marriage in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947 thrilled the nation and captivated the world. On the radio 200,000,000 people heard the softly spoken responses of the bride and groom as the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced them man and wife. Six days later in a statement issued from Broadlands in Hampshire, where they were spending their honeymoon 'Elizabeth and Philip' thanked their "fellow countryman and well-wishers in all parts of the world for the loving reception given us on our wedding day forgettable send-off in our married life". and the unforgettable sendoff in our married life.

Photos Included:

Both were taken at Buckingham Palace. The betrothal picture was taken in the White Drawing Room by Fox Photos; the Wedding Day study in the Throne Room by Baron.

Prince Charles and Princess Anne:

Late on 14 November 1948, the nation was thrilled to learn that The Princess Elizabeth was safely delivered of a prince at nine fourteen p.m. He was christened Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh a month later at Buckingham Palace, and his sponsors were his great-grandmother Queen Mary and his grand-father King George VI, his aunt Princess Margaret, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, Lady Brabourne the elder daughter of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and his great-uncle the Hon. David Bowes-Lyon. The Duke of Edinburgh stood proxy for Prince George of Greece, and the Earl of Athlone for the King of Norway.

On 15 August 1950 a princess was born. She too was christened at Buckingham Palace, and given the name Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise.

The first London home of the princess and her husband was at Clarence House in St. James's Palace, a hundred yards from Buckingham Palace, and in the early years the two children were often seen in their prams in the park.

Photos Included:

Prince Charles' sponsors at his christening. The Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with Princess Anne at her christening, and Prince Charles in his prams on his second birthday were all taken by Baron. The Princess Elizabeth with Prince Charles on his first birthday is by Marcus Adams and the charming studies of the prince beating his drum and with his sister in their prams are the work of John Scott.

Family Life and State Duty:

The responsibilities of the monarchy inevitably prevented The Queen from being with her children as much as she would have wished. However, whenever possible, she had tea with them and played with them in the nursery. They sailed with their parents in Britannia, and watched them take part in ceremonies such as Trooping the Colour and the State Opening of Parliament. At home, they spent every available hour together, the lake at Buckingham Palace and the grounds of Royal Lodge Windsor were favourite playgrounds. Prince Charles and Princess Anne inherited their love of horses from their parents. The Queen supervised their first riding lessons and accompanied them on their morning rides whenever possible.

In May 1961, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made a state visit to His Holiness Pope John. It was the first time Her Majesty had been to the Vatican, in 1951 before her accession she had a private meeting with Pope Pius XII. With the traditional black gown, The Queen wore the pearls given her by Queen Mary and a tiara that had belonged to Queen Alexandria...

Silver Wedding Souvenir: Pride of Britain by Vivien Batchelor

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II in Photos