70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne

The Northern Echo of 70 years ago this weekend told of how George VI 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 tomorrow.

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 night times.

"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.

Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh wave farewell to Londoners on January 31 as they head to the airport for their trip to Kenya and Australia

It was also his last public appearance, as he died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, at Sandringham House in Norfolk. He was found in his bed by his valet at 7.30am, and the news was telephoned through to Buckingham Palace using the codewords “Hyde Park Corner”. This prevented the news from seeping out until the palace was ready, and it wasn’t until 11.15am that BBC wireless announcer John Snagge, in his most doleful tones, began announcing the news to the nation.

Flags were immediately lowered and bells began to ring across the region.

The king had only been 56 years old, as was marked in Richmond by the Trinity Church bell tolling 56 times.

Council officials in every town rapidly dashed off telegrams of condolence to the new queen.

The mayor of Darlington, Cllr Harry Sansom, composing the telegram of condolence

The Darlington mayor, Cllr Harry Sansom, began his message: “On behalf of the Corporation and Burgesses of the loyal County Borough of Darlington, I beg leave humbly to assure Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and the members of the Royal Family of their profound grief at the passing of the late king, and beg leave to respectfully tender their deep sympathy in the great loss suffered by the House of Windsor and the nation.”

Rapidly, the country entered into a period of mourning, which meant the cancellation of activities. Even the North Riding and Durham County Threshing Machine Owners’ annual ball was called off.

People reflected on how the king had had faily close connections to the region: he had first visited in 1920, when he stayed at Wynyard Hall and attended the Royal Agricultural Show at Feethams. Then he'd been back in 1925 with his wife for the centenary celebrations of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington railway, and in 1934 the couple had opened the Newport Bridge over the Tees in Middlesbrough.

The guests of honour at the 1925 centenary celebrations in Darlington were the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother. They are seen at Faverdale with locomotive designer Sir Nigel Gresley, third from the left

The Duke and Duchess of York, as they were then, prepare to go down Glamis Pit in Kibblesworth near Gateshead in 1936

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Catterick Camp on August 29, 1940

King George VI presents the FA Cup to the Newcastle captain, Joe Harvey, in 1951 - the Echo printed this picture in its pictorial review of the king's life immediately after his death 

But in the midst of the mourning, the country also had a new monarch. The new queen had learned of her accession while staying in the Treetops hotel in the Aberdare National Park in Kenya – Prince Philip had taken a call by radio-telephone and broke the news to her that her father was dead.

“She took the news quietly,” said the Echo, “and then broke down and wept.”

As soon as a thunderstorm had abated, she and Philip headed for home, arriving back in London on the evening of February 8.

Dressed in black, relieved only by her lapel ornament and necklace, Queen Elizabeth II (formerly Princess Elizabeth) sets foot on British soil for the first time since her accession as she lands at London Airport from Kenya following the death of her father

Hopefully they didn’t suffer too much jetlag as first thing the next morning, they were awoken by trumpets formally announcing Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.

“The first and principal proclamation ceremony took place from St James’s Palace balcony,” said the Echo. “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 (above).

The view of the crowd in Darlington Market Place from the top of the covered market stairs

Reading the proclamation of the queen acceding to the throne from the top of Darlington's 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 and Stockton gathered around its Market Cross while the people of Richmond stood around the obelisk in the Market Place.

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 you read this, is the queen’s 14th Prime Minister – we are looking back 70 years through the pages of The Northern Echo to the last time the country had a new monarch.

READ MORE: The Echo's front page in full from February 7, 1952