The story of Her Majesty’s historic 70-year reign begins on 6th February 1952, when King George VI died peacefully in his sleep at Sandringham.

Thousands of miles away in Kenya, the King’s eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth, still just 25 years old, and her husband Philip had enjoyed an overnight stay at Treetops Hotel before returning to their base at Sagana Lodge.

Elizabeth’s private secretary Martin Charteris received the news from London that the King had died before Prince Philip himself broke the terrible news to his wife that her beloved father had passed away in the night; Elizabeth was now Queen.