If you inhabit this part of the world you cannot fail to be aware that this Thursday marks the 90th birthday of the British Queen - Elizabeth II. To mark the event our theme image this week features a photograph from 1943 which shows Elizabeth and her sister Margaret as young women who performed in a pantomime production of Aladdin at Windsor Castle. The picture comes from the Daily Herald archives which are now held at the National Media Museum.
Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth!
For the "sister's" aspect of the photo this week, I chose one my father's creative
shots (all he had was his Brownie) of my sister Eilleen and myself enhanced by the morning light coming through the Venetian blinds. The day was probably Sunday and she was reading me the funnies which came in the Saturday paper as we did not have a Sunday edition. Eilleen loved to play roles and she enjoyed acting out the funnies for me.
Sometimes she'd use a cake box, the kind with the plastic window, as a little stage. She'd cut the funnies into strips and roll them around a pencil; using two pencils, she'd roll the comics from one pencil to the other, capturing the strips, frame by frame in the window. Each frame was a little tableau. I loved this and would beg her to "play comics" with me.
 |
| Helen and Eilleen 1947 |
Both of these photos churn up emotion in me - I can remember how wonderful I thought my sister was and how much I wanted to be just like her. In that regard, we were very different from the royal sisters. I don't think Margaret was envious of her sister in the slightest and recognized early on what a difficult job her sister had ahead of her. When her father unexpectedly became king in 1936 following Edward VIII's abdication, Margaret, then six, said to Elizabeth: "Does that mean you're going to be queen? Poor you."
 |
| Elizabeth and Margaret, 1939 |
While looking at information about the Queen to write this post, I found this little tidbit so endearing. At her coronation in 1953, her robes were so heavy that she asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to give her a push, saying, "Get me started."
 |
| Poor little Elizabeth, so weighted down. |
Climb on your magic carpet and check out the stories at Sepia Saturday
That family had their share of surprises - first, Elizabeth's father unexpectedly becoming King, & then Elizabeth unexpectedly becoming Queen far sooner that she had anticipated - and now she has become the longest living monarch. Quite an accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteShe weathers all storms, and she's had a few.
DeleteYour sister was so clever. I wish my sister would write about how wonderful I was Ha Ha.
ReplyDeleteIf she's read your blog she should be writing about your wonderfulness.
DeleteWhat delightful photos of you and Eilleen. Those sweet curls and smiles must have melted your parents' hearts.
ReplyDeleteVery sweet photographs. The Queen has been weighed down by her duties but all the same she has survived and served her subjects very well.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful photograph of you and your sister. - even more special being taken by your father.
ReplyDeleteGreat sets of sister pictures. Your sister sounds so clever to have done the little roll of comics staging. Certainly seems Elizabeth has followed the cheers of "long live the queen."
ReplyDeleteQueen Elizabeth's position as monarch surely complicated her relationships with family, friends, and commoners (if that term can still be applied). But in the end her connection to parents, sisters, and children are no different than ours.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have known your sister!
ReplyDeleteBarbara