This is how the Royal Family waited for history to happen

One hundred years ago today, April 20, was the last day before
history. In the early hours of April 21 1926, a little girl was
born in London. She would grow up to become the longest reigning
Monarch in British history, a Queen who changed royalty and a
country and whose long life and rule reflected the changes of a
whole world. This is how the royal story was told in the last hours
before Elizabeth.

Plans for April 21 1926, a very
ordinary royal day

The Royal Family of 1926 had no great plans for April 21.
Instead, on April 20, the Daily Mirror reported that King
George V intended to spend the following day at the races. He was
set for Epsom ”in order to witness the race for the City and
Suburban, in which his colt Runnymede is set to take part.
Much, however, will depend upon the state of the
weather.’;

The paper reported that King George, if he did go to Epsom,
might count on the company of his only daughter, the Princess
Royal. And that was as exciting as royal plans for April 21 1926
got.

End of an era

However, times were changing. The papers on April 20 1926 also
reported the death of someone who had been at the heart of the
Royal Family for decades. The Western Morning News was one of
several publications to give details of the passing of Ann Clark
who had worked as a housekeeper to King George V, Queen Mary and
their household for years.

As the paper noted, Ann Clark had been ‘a great personality
in the Royal Household, and among the Royal Princes in their
childhood days, she was regarded as quite an authority.”

Ann Clark had been with the royals since the late 19th century,
working for George and Mary when they were Duke and Duchess of York
in the reign of Queen Victoria then when they became Prince and
Princess of Wales under King Edward VII. She had stayed with them
following the accession of George V and had retired in March 1926
at the age of 77. Her retirement lasted just a month before her
death. It was the end of an era.

Kissing babies

In a moment of serendipity, the big royal engagement being
reported the day before the birth of the princess who would change
everything involved lots of new babies. Princess Mary, the Princess
Royal had spent an afternoon at Woolwich Hospital where she heard
about a fund to help patients and met as many newborn babies as
could be presented to her in an hour.

The Princess Royal toured the wards and met 50 patients, all of
them mothers to be or new mamas. She was also shown plenty of
youngsters. The Daily New (London) reported that
”while the Princess was taking tea a baby boy, born only two
hours before her arrival, was brought for her to see. His mother is
Mrs. Foley and his name will be George.”

It was a very royal pick for a baby born just before a very
royal baby indeed. Curiously, the aunt who was the public face of
the Royal Family in the hours before the birth of Elizabeth II was
the relation to whom the late Monarch was said to bear a strong
resemblence.

And so to Mayfair…

There was little word of the woman who was about to change royal
history. Elizabeth, The Duchess of York was at the home of her
parents in Mayfair, a smart townhouse at 17 Bruton Street.

Although Buckingham Palace had made no formal announcement, her
pregnancy was the main royal news of the spring. No one expected
any appearances from her at this time. Instead, the Leicester
Evening Mail looked ahead and said that the duchess and her
husband ”providing their engagements permit, are to pay a visit
this year to Motherwell…’

It was a general hint that the duchess would be away from the
public eye for the near future but would return. Her baby was said
to be due in the early days of May. And then April 21 1926
happened.