How the North East reacted to the queen's accession

The Darlington & Stockton Times of 70 years ago this week told of how George VI had died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, meaning that his eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, had acceded to the throne – an anniversary that will be commemorated on Sunday.

For us in 2022, the anniversary marks the start of the queen’s extraordinary reign – the only monarch that most of us have ever known.

But in 1952, the story was all about the end of the king’s reign. It was a reign which had begun in perhaps the greatest royal turmoil of the 20th Century in 1936 when his older brother had abandoned the throne in favour of his divorced American lover. It was a reign, though, that had brought country and monarchy closer together, primarily because of the Second World War, when Buckingham Palace was bombed.

"I am glad we have been bombed,” said Queen Elizabeth, who had begun life a Bowes-Lyon with fond memories of holidaying as a child in Teesdale. “Now we can look the East End in the eye."

The palace had become the centre of the VE Day celebrations in 1945 and so in 1952, people were principally remembering how the king had suffered like them, but had steadfastly seen the country through those dark days.

The stress of the war and his heavy smoking habit caused the king’s health to rapidly decline. On September 23, 1951, he’d had his left lung removed due to a tumour, but he had recovered enough by January 31, 1952, to make his first public appearance since the operation. He was at London Airport, waving off Princess Elizabeth as she and Prince Philip left for a tour of Kenya and Australia – a tour he should have been making had his health been better.

The last public appearance: George VI waves off his daughter Elizabeth on January 31, 1952, on her tour to Kenya. She left a princess but returned days later as queen

It was also his last public appearance, as he died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, at Sandringham House in Norfolk. He was 56-years-old, as was marked in Richmond, said the D&S, by the Trinity Church bell tolling 56 times.

The news was unexpected. Magistrates sitting at Ripon were among the first to learn, when Inspector Colley slipped a piece of paper to their clerk informing them. They immediately stood in “shocked silence”.

In every town, bells tolled, flags flew at half mast, and council officials dashed off telegrams of condolence to the queen, whom the D&S was already referring to as “the Queen Mother”.

On Northallerton market, as the news seeped in “the tempo of business slowed down and many farmers and stallholders left earlier than usual”.

Rapidly, the country entered into a period of mourning, which meant the cancellation of activities. “In consequence of the death of the king, most hunts, notably the Bedale, the Hurworth, the Zetland, Weardale Beagles and Lartington Harriers, have cancelled all meets until after the funeral,” said the D&S.

The D&S Times' editorial of 70 years ago concentrated on the death of the king

Other events that were off were the Northallerton Young Farmers’ Club fancy dress ball and the North Riding and Durham County Threshing Machine Owners’ annual ball.

But in the midst of the mourning, the country also had a new monarch. The new queen had learned of her accession in Kenya and, as soon as a thunderstorm had abated, she and Philip headed for home.

“The first and principal proclamation ceremony took place from St James’s Palace balcony yesterday morning,” reported the D&S on Saturday, February 9, 1952. “State trumpeters in gold-embroidered tunics and caps sounded the fanfare and a salute of 62 guns were fired by the Honourable Artillery Company on Tower Hill.”

Similar ceremonies took place in every town. In Darlington a crowd of more than 6,000 had gathered in the Market Place to watch a civic procession led by the mayor mount the steps outside the Covered Market, which had been dressed in a Union flag for the occasion.

The scene in Darlington where, on February 8, 1952, the official proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II's accession was read from the top of the market steps

“The aldermen and councillors in their blue and scarlet robes brought a splash of colour to the ceremony, contrasting with the dark clothes worn by council officials, magistrates and others,” said The Northern Echo.

From his vantage point on the top stair, the town clerk read the official proclamation, following by cheering fanfares and the National Anthem.

Towns not blessed with high market steps used other ancient pedestals. Northallerton gathered around its Market Cross while the people of Richmond stood around the obelisk in the Market Place.

“Three cheers were raised for the queen and the National Anthem was played,” said the D&S of the ceremony in Richmond. “The flag on top of the Trinity Tower, which had been flying at half-mast, was raised to the top of the next six hours. In the Town Hall, the health of Her Majesty was toasted.”

And so the old king was dead, but the new queen was cheered. The wishes of the toasters have come true – the queen has lived long. It is amazing to think that as political fortunes have waxed and waned – Boris Johnson, if he is still in power by the time we go to press, is the queen’s 14th Prime Minister – we are looking back 70 years through the pages of the D&S to the last time the country had a new monarch.