Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park.
Shortly after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, the U.S. embassy in Great Britain submitted a despatch entitled “The Role of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh” (now in the 1950-54 Central Decimal Files (NAID 302021), Record Group 59). While the report notes that only 15 months on the throne “is too brief a time in which to estimate the quality and character of a reigning monarch,” it still paints an interesting and favorable portrait of the personality and character of the new monarch and her consort, full of promise at the beginning of what has turned out to be her long and distinguished reign.
Another wonderful post, David! Thanks for highlighting our great diplomatic holdings, once again. My favorite part of the despatch is the understated: “The matter of choosing husbands is becoming increasingly difficult for contemporary royal princesses…” It’s not so easy for non-royalty, either, or so my single friends tell me. 🙂